Swatch Books and Fabric Samples Online

Happy Twelfth Day of Christmas. For a while, I've been gathering examples of historic textiles (fabric samples and designs) which have been digitalized. Here's my initial attempt at curating them.

Most of these are from Internet Archive, but there's also two from Reproduction Fabrics, and several from museum collections such as the Met, MFA, and VAM. A few are whole books of fabric designs or samples, others are single pages or even single pieces of material.

Fragments & Samples

London Foundling Hospital (1740s-1760s) Threads of Feeling fabric swatch collection

MFA Boston textile fragments (18th-19th centuries, like this 1830s print)

The Victoria and Albert has many samples, especially c.1840-1851 (like these or this or this)

Sample & Design Books

c.1700: Pattern Book of Silks and Damasks these are woven silk patterns, not prints
c.1700: Asian Fabric Sample Book, vol. 1
c.1700: Asian Fabric Sample Book, vol. 2

1746-1823 Barbara Johnson album fabric swatches annotated with year and garment type
1784: Textile Sample Book (Manchester), cotton

c.1800 Embroidery Sample Book, Maison Sedille (Iran/Persia) French imports?
1800-1899: Sample Book of Trims, Lobre Frères  (Lyons) embroidered net, diverse passementerie
c.1800-? British Sample Book, early 19th century
1818: Textile Sample Book (Lyon), prints, one page
1821: Textile Sample Book, page
1825: Fortin Sample Book (Paris)

c.1830: The Dargate Book, identified as French dress goods

1842: De la fabrique d'étoffes (Lyon), woven designs with the drafts and treadling sequences
1845: Échantillons (France), prints
1846: Textile Sample Book (Lyon), prints, two pages
1846-1860: Textile Sample Book, page
1843-1863: The Delaine Book (Paris), wool prints dated 1843-4, 1849, and 1863

1861: John Smith/Goodshawl Chapel (Lancashire)
1863: Maison Robert Sample Book (Paris)
1863: Darras-Heumann Sample Book (Paris), these mostly seem to be kerchiefs or border prints
c.1865 Imprimés en tous genres,  E. Lemancel Sample Book No. 2 (Paris)

Louis Long Sample Book (USA) 1860-1895, 1877-1892 1878-1900, 1886-1903, 1885-1902, 1884-1889 1880-1920s, 1903-7

c.1870–78 Ullman Frères/Willman Sample Book whitework embroideries
c.1870s British or American Sample Book prints
c.1875: Trims and Edging embroidery designs for nightgowns and shirts

1881: Textile Sample Book (Lyon)
1886: Silk Ribbon and Trims, E. Lemancel Sample Book (Paris)
1887-8: Sample Book (American)

1890-1901: Gazes, E. Lemancel Sample Book (Paris)
1893: Rudolf Kratzsch Sample Book (Germany), one page
1895: French Silk Sample Book 

1900: Lainages unis en façonnies en tous genres. Livre no. 3, E. Lemancel (Paris)
1900: Untitled Sample Book (Paris)
1900: Weaving Pattern Sample Book (Lyon?)

19--: Aniline Colors on Cotton Yarn (New York) dyeing information and color samples

[I'm still exploring it, but the Textile Research Center's online collection has 20th and 21st century swatches from around the world.]