Comments on: James Leman, Silk Designer

By: Pamela SMITH

Pamela SMITH — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 04:29:45 +0000

Oh what beautiful and amazing fabric designs by James Leman. I’m also now interested to get a copy of the novel The Hidden Thread by Liz Trenow. Spitalfields will be on my bucket list and I’m looking forward to doing more research on the Huguenots. THANKYOU for your wonderful blog.

By: Marie Mul

Marie Mul — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 19:51:29 +0000

Thank you for all those beautiful patterns. I enjoyed it.

By: Connie Fischer

Connie Fischer — Sun, 01 Oct 2017 11:44:18 +0000

These designs are lovely. It reminds me of Liz Trenow’s novel, “The Hidden Thread” which takes place in Spitalfields and includes the story of a young man who is an indentured silk weaver learning to become a master weaver. The book is filled with information of the Spitalfields area and the hard work involved in silk weaving. I found it fascinating.

By: DKP

DKP — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 12:35:17 +0000

Thanks for the info Vicky but I’m afraid this confuses things for me even more 🙂

My understanding was that the street was renamed Leman not as a variant spelling of Lemon, but after James Leman. Every local I’ve encountered still insists it’s pronounced LEE-man because of this fact. Perhaps I’ll never know …

By: tessa murdoch

tessa murdoch — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 16:27:08 +0000

Wonderful blog achieving recognition for Huguenot talent across the globe as currently celebrated at Historic Huguenot Street New Paltz; the Huguenot Museum, Rochester, Kent and the current exhibition at the Migration Museum in Lambeth. Reassuring to have the pronunciation of Leman firmly anchored.

By: Su Mason

Su Mason — Tue, 19 Sep 2017 08:10:26 +0000

Thank you for that stunning visual treat. Must put on my bucket list. Su Mason

By: Vicky

Vicky — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 15:57:08 +0000

DKP – regarding the pronunciation of the name Leman as ‘Lemon’ –
Cary’s New And Accurate Plan Of London And Westminster, 1795, shows the boundary of the Parish of St Botolph Aldgate and the spelling is Lemon. Look East of the green square.
https://www.londonlives.org/static/StBotolphAldgate.jsp
I live close by and the older local people pronounce it as Lemon.

By: Elizabeth NYC

Elizabeth NYC — Sun, 17 Sep 2017 21:57:41 +0000

If you look at the edges you can see where the pattern would fit together to repeat up and down/side-to-side in the woven piece. It would be a fun diversion to do that in Photoshop. Cannot imagine actually weaving it, though. I’d get blisters on my fingers. Thank you for the treat, GA.

By: pauline taylor

pauline taylor — Sun, 17 Sep 2017 15:12:31 +0000

Oh my goodness, these designs are national treasures, so beautiful that they put modern textile designers to shame. What has happened to that sort of talent and what has happened to our appreciation of people capable of such work; they surely must still exist, as must really talented artists but we now encourage the mediocre which makes me despair. Thankfully some of us still admire the skill and the talent that we see in these designs so thank you GA for giving us a chance to learn about Mr Leman, I shall be making sure that my customers are aware of his name and his beautiful designs.

It also makes me wonder if the silk merchants associated with my family tree wove and exported any of these designs. My several times great grandfather married a silk merchant’s daughter as his first wife so perhaps his father-in-law even knew Mr Leman and indeed he may have worn an outfit like his. I love insights into the past and history like this so thank you again.

By: Patricia Gaye Tapp

Patricia Gaye Tapp — Sun, 17 Sep 2017 13:58:01 +0000

Dying over these, though I rarely comment I continue to love your stories here-thank you. Gaye