The pictures on this page are all of Northrop/Draper looms. (James Northrop, being the principal inventor, they were named Northrop looms. Sometimes on this site you'll see them referred to as Draper looms and sometimes as Northrop looms.) The one at the top is a 36" A model, the middle one is a 36 " K, and the one at the bottom is a 40" C.    The 36" A was the first Draper automatic loom. (Actually, as far as I've been able to determine, that would make it the first Draper loom of any kind. From all the Draper material I've seen, it appears that the company produced parts for spinning and weaving machinery, but not complete looms, until they developed the Northrop automatic loom. The first Northrops were sold in 1894. While the card on the loom says it was the first Draper loom, I doubt this one was built in the 1890s. There is another little card on it that says 1932. It may be that they were still building the same model, probably with a few modifications by that time.)    The card on the 36" K says it was built in 1918 for exhibition purposes. It was designed primarily to weave rayon.    The 40" C was built in 1938, also for exhibition purposes. It is an automatic shuttle changing loom, (unlike the more common bobbin changing looms) "which many mill men deemed necessary to weave first quality synthetic goods."              Red Shop Interior Menu             More Red Shop looms            HOME