Friday, December 11, 2015

The Campaign for Wool Completes Wool Week 2015 in China and Japan

The Campaign for Wool was launched in 2010, and is a multi-national, cross-industry coalition working together to raise the profile of wool as the natural sustainable fiber for fashion and interiors.  The Campaign recently completed a successful  Wool Week 2015 in China and Japan.

Focusing on the Campaign’s belief to “Live Naturally, Choose Wool,” the three day event partnered with the JZ Festival Shanghai in China, in addition to 13 other Campaign partners included in a “wool wardrobe” display. In Japan, the world renowned Japanese department store and Campaign for Wool partner Isetan Shinjuku hosted a “woolly takeover,” to help celebrate Wool Week.  Other campaign partner hosted promotions throughout the week to help customers better understand the benefits of choosing wool products.
                                                                             


Langhorne Carpet Co. is a charter member of the Campaign for Wool and helped with the Campaign’s launch in the US.  Langhorne Carpet Company is a leader in the worldwide wool industry, and has used the highest quality wool to weave the finest carpets for its customers.

Langhorne Carpet Company president Bill Morrow states that “we believe in the superior qualities of wool products and the positive effect the use of wool products have on the environment. The Campaign for Wool helps to bring these outstanding qualities to the public eye.”  The Campaign for Wool and Langhorne Carpet Company is pleased to continue to help educate and promote the benefits of this traditional fabric to consumers worldwide.   

(Wool Week photo credit

Monday, October 5, 2015

Langhorne Carpet Proudly “Greets” Pope Francis Upon His Historic Arrival In Philadelphia

Custom Cardinal Red-Gothic Gold Custom Carpet Welcomes The Pope
Photo: Philadelphia International Airport
              
(Pope Francis, greeted by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput and dignitaries, stepped off his American Airlines flight from New York City and onto the specially designed, woven wool Langhorne carpet at PHL September 26th)

Suburban Philadelphia’s Langhorne Carpet Company, established in 1930, is honored to have designed, woven, and donated three wool carpets – including the captivating 9’ x 75’ ceremonial red carpet - for the Pope’s momentous Philadelphia visit on September 26-27.  Langhorne’s unique role in the Papal visit was a result of its close collaboration with the hosts Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015. All three carpets featured the mill’s iconic, one-of-a-kind “Medallions of Hope” design, greatly influenced by the contemplative and colorful stained glass panels in Philadelphia’s Cathedral Basilica of Saints. Peter and Paul. Besides the runner, the ‘Weave Team’ at the Jacquard Wilton mill loomed two loop pile, Evergreen and Gothic Gold accent carpets that were featured floor coverings in two rooms of the Rectory of the Cathedral during the Pope’s visit.

All three distinctive Langhorne carpets, which are now deemed historic objects and become the permanent property of the Archdiocese, were the subject of significant public and media attention before and during the Papal visit that attracted more than one million people to Philadelphia and a global television audience in the hundreds of millions.

Photo: Philadelphia International Airport
"We remain honored and humbled to have been a part of the Pope’s visit, and thrilled that the labor of love of our Weave Team members was featured on a world stage associated with a truly extraordinary, inspiration international leader,” explains William Morrow, President of Langhorne Carpet Company. “His message of peace, hope and harmony resonates with everyone and our participation exemplifies the importance of our ‘Carpets of Caring’ program.” Morrow commented, “From a design standpoint, we were delighted that our partners permitted us to design outside the traditional, solid-red box of ceremonial runway carpets. The Gothic Gold medallion border was respectful, distinctive but not dominant.”

Langhorne’s role involved many firsts for the small custom weaver:  the first carpet woven for a Pope, as well as the first time any of its carpets had been blessed. The Rev.  Robert Gross of Our Lady of Grace in Penndel, PA, and a neighbor of the mill, presided over the blessing ceremony that was attended by numerous government officials, friends and mill family members. And local and national media.

It was also the first time a Langhorne carpet received a lights-and-siren police escort. Penndel’s Police Chief led a UPS Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), donated for the occasion by the global carrier, the 32 miles from the mill to the staging area at Philadelphia’s airport.

As a result of the Papal visit experience, it may not be long before Langhorne Carpet, long regarded as the foundation of fine interiors, is also known as the gold standard of red carpets.


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Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Langhorne Carpet Company Weaves Rugs to be Used During Papal Visit

Philadelphia, PA (September 10, 2015) – The Archdiocese of Philadelphia and World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015 today announced that Langhorne Carpet Company is weaving and will donate three custom carpets to be used during the visit of Pope Francis to Philadelphia on September 26 and 27. 

Under its long established ‘Carpets of Caring’ philanthropic program, the family-owned, 85-year-old Penndel, Bucks County-based textile company is weaving the Jacquard Wilton 100% organic wool carpets on its treasured Delaware County-manufactured  “broad looms” for use during this historic occasion.
Based on Langhorne’s original “Medallion of Hope” design, the 75’ x 9’ carpet will be rolled out and used during the Holy Father’s arrival and departure at Atlantic Aviation and the other two room accent carpets will be used inside the rectory of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.  Pope Francis will celebrate Mass in the Cathedral for the people of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on September 26.

The Airport carpet, presented in Cardinal Red and Gothic Gold, features the decorative medallion border inspired by a section of the Cathedral Basilica’s stained glass windows. It requires nearly 191,000 yards of yarn (more than 100 miles) and will consist of more than one million individual woven loops. The carpets in the Cathedral rectory will feature the same signature medallion motif with the repeating six-inch diameter medallions.
Langhorne’s in-house design team is led by company President William H. Morrow and includes Lead Designer Andrea Perlman and Design Assistant Lydia Whitford. Ms. Perlman is a 1977 graduate of Philadelphia University, from which Ms. Whitford will graduate in 2016.

 “We are honored to represent the greater Philadelphia region and the global wool textile community in weaving these distinctive, uplifting carpets for the Papal visit,” said Mr. William H. Morrow, President of Langhorne Carpet Company. “We greatly appreciate the opportunity presented by the World Meeting of Families and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to participate in this profoundly important event." 

Co-sponsored by the Holy See’s Pontifical Council for the Family and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the World Meeting of Families is a triennial global event that seeks to strengthen the sacred bonds of family across the globe and highlight its intrinsic value to the good of society. This international gathering will welcome Pope Francis to the United States for the first time in his Papacy. Being held in the United States for the first time ever, the official theme for the 2015 World Meeting of Families is “Love is Our Mission: The Family Fully Alive.”

For more information regarding the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, visit www.WorldMeeting2015.org.  For more information regarding The Holy See’s Pontifical Council for the Family, which co-sponsors the World Meeting of Families, visit http://www.familiam.org/famiglia_eng/00002554_HOME_ENG.html. You can also engage the World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia on Facebook (World Meeting of Families 2015) (Encuentro Mundial de las Familias – Filadelfia 2015), Twitter (@WMF2015) (@WMF2015ES) and Instagram (WMF2015).

About World Meetings of Families
Beginning with 1994, The Year of the Family, the Pontifical Council for the Family has been responsible for organizing the World Meetings of Families in Rome (1994); Rio de Janeiro (1997); Rome (2000); Manila (2003); Valencia (2006); Mexico City (2009); Milan (2012); and now, Philadelphia (2015).  Since its inception by Saint John Paul II, the World Meeting of Families has sought to strengthen the sacred bonds of family across the globe.

About Langhorne Carpet Company
Established in 1930 by the Morrow Family of Bucks County, Langhorne’s iconic mill – America’s oldest continuously operating Wilton weaver - has woven original design and reproduction carpets for many of the nation’s most historic structures, including the White House and Carpenter’s Hall. Langhorne is a Charter Member of the global ‘Campaign for Wool’, dedicated to a greener, sustainable planet, and the preservation of wool as a natural fiber-of-choice of choice in textiles and other vital everyday applications.


Monday, August 10, 2015

Langhorne Carpet Continues Its Relationship with the First Family of American Motoring

Weaving History for Henry Ford’s Birthplace
Family-owned and operated, Langhorne’s relationship with the Ford Family, which began with the mill’s initial purchase in 1930 of several pre-owned Ford looms, continues with the weaving of a new, museum-quality wool carpet for Ford Home, Henry Ford’s birthplace now located in Greenfield Village, Dearborn, Michigan. Langhorne was commissioned by the Henry Ford Museum to create a carpet for the legendary Michigan auto pioneer’s home from his early years. Bill Morrow, whose great grandfather bought the looms from Ford, says, “In many respects, the best thing that happened to Langhorne Carpet was Ford’s decision to stop making carpet flooring for his cars. That jump started our business 85 years ago.”


A look at Langhorne's carpet for Ford Home
The Ford home project represents the latest in a decades long series of Langhorne historic carpet reproductions. Others include the White House, home-museums of several American presidents, and official governors’ residences.
Langhorne is also the proud weaver of the distinctive border of the captivating West Wing carpet featured in Season III “House of Cards.” (We previously uploaded a blog post about Langhorne’s work on House of Cards. To read it,
click here.) Langhorne’s meticulous reproductions are coveted by curators and historic preservationists.




Friday, June 26, 2015

What’s New At Langhorne Carpets?

2015 is fast becoming one of our most prolific years, especially in terms of adding new collections and custom designs to our running lines. Here are some exuberant examples of our woven wool carpets:

Double-Bleached White: A Color For All Seasons
In fashion, white is usually confined to the closet until after Memorial Day when warmer weather takes hold. But in home décor, white has always had a following regardless of season. In response to trendsetting designers and decorators – we have unveiled this new collection of white-on-white in tone-on-tone styles and textures.  

Chimes - Double Bleached White / Pattern #: 21943

Black & White: And Electrifying 
Available in three additional new B&W patterns, including Pinwheel (see below), this collection is anything but unassuming. From fun and fancy to formal, this collection is already turning heads from residences to boardrooms.




Venom
Inspired by the natural world and available in two colorways, this new line joins the list of Langhorne’s fauna favorites that include zebra and antelope. And is welcomed alongside our new Conservation Collection that debuted with Willow and Carapace designs from winners of the Morrow Design Competition.



Antelope
Noted above, Antelope in 2015 joins our running woven wool carpet lines – now in two colorways - having had such success as a custom pattern.  



Scatter: Addressing a Design Need
True story. While so many of our original designs are inspired by the beauty of nature, from wildlife to wildflowers, sometimes a great design theme is looking us right in the eye, from the top of our desk. Such is the case with Scatter, an ‘etched’ design inspired by the inside of the common envelope. We are excited about the initial response to all seven captivating colorways.



For information on these new additions, contact sales@langhornecarpets.com.


Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Weaving Art: Mika Tajima Presents Negative Entropy

From a distance, Mika Tajima’s Negative Entropy series appears to be a collection of colorful, abstract paintings. But upon closer inspection, they are revealed to be finely woven textiles. What is even more fascinating is the subject of each piece. Each one of Tajima’s pieces is not merely an abstract work of art but an acoustic portrait, a visual image of the sounds of traditional wool weaving technology.
To create this series, Tajima visited previously booming industrial centers in Southeastern Pennsylvania and recorded the sounds of old factories, specifically of industrial textile Jacquard looms and server colocation centers –both of which represent endangered technology.  The locations she visited include Langhorne Carpet Mill, Caledonian Dye Works, Material Technology & Logistics, and Philadelphia Technology Park.

A woven work from Mika Tajima’s Negative
Entropy series depicting the sound of 
Langhorne Carpet Mill (Photo credit)
Tajima’s Negative Entropy series subsequently showcases artwork produced through the same process that they depict. After turning the sounds into digital images, Tajima translated the images into woven Jacquard patterns. A Jacquard weave is produced using a special loom that creates complex designs. The process for making these fabrics is time-consuming and labor-intensive and requires extraordinary skill. Langhorne Carpet Company has been around for over 80 years and specializes in Jacquard-Wilton carpet weaving. To learn more about Langhorne Carpet, click here.
In a New York Times review of Negative Entropy, Roberta Smith writes, “Not unlike the music rolls for a player piano, these [recorded sounds] become templates for softly optical Jacquard patterns that suggest waves of both sounds and lights and also have a quaint, modern, wall-hanging numbness...There is nothing very groundbreaking here, but contributions are made to the continuing discussion about beauty and the diverse ways it can be achieved and the hands-off legacy of Jackson Pollock. Object making has never been Ms. Tajima's thing, but these imply a promising trajectory." Read the full New York Times article.

Installation view at Eleven Rivington, NY, 2014
Photo credit


Mika Tajima is a New York City artist born in Los Angeles. She received her B.A. from Bryn Mawr College and her M.F.A. from Columbia University. She exhibits her artwork all over the country and around the world. Her past exhibitions have been at Centre Pompidou in Paris, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in California, The Aspen Art Museum in Colorado, The Seattle Art Museum in Washington, Bass Art Museum in Florida, X Initiative in New York, The Kitchen in New York, Swiss Institute for Contemporary Art in New York, The Mori Museum in Tokyo, South London Gallery in London, and many other notable locations. Her Negative Entropy series was first displayed at Eleven Rivington in New York. Visit Mika Tajima’s website here for more information on her work and exhibitions.