Bolton’s connection to Egypt dates back to the 1860s when local cotton manufacturers began trading with cotton merchants in Alexandria. Annie Barlow, a mill owner’s daughter, had a chance meeting with Flinders Petrie whilst he was excavating in the Nile Delta, resulting in her becoming the Honorary Secretary of the Egypt Exploration Fund/Society in the North-West. She collected local subscriptions for the benefit of Bolton Museum which today houses the most important and unique collection of Egyptian textile artefacts in the UK. These Egyptian textiles I have personally documented and conserved which has enabled this lecture to provide a detailed insight into the skill of the Egyptian textile weavers and embroiderers from the Pharaonic periods through to the 10th century AD. The lecture has detailed colourful images of clothing, furnishing fabrics through to mummified animals, all with a story to tell.

Lecturer Jacqueline Hyman is a freelance accredited Conservator-Restorer who gained her textile conservation experience with the Museums' Service. She has lectured widely for The Arts Society, Embroiderers' Guild, Lace Guild, Antique Collectors' clubs and has appeared on Channel 4, BBC 2 and the Discovery Channel.