Editing Banner-making

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{{Globalize|article|United Kingdom|2name=the United Kingdom|date=December 2010}}
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[[Image:Banner making 01.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[Nottingham]] based arts activist collective [[The Mischief Makers]] make banners using reclaimed sticky back plastics]]

'''Banner-making''' is the ancient art or craft of [[sewing]] [[banner]]s. Techniques used include [[applique]], [[embroidery]], fabric painting, [[patchwork]] and others.

==Trade union banners==
[[Image:TU banners.JPG|thumb|Banners of [[Association of University Teachers|AUT]], [[National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education|NATFHE]], Cambridge [[Labour council|TUC]] and [[Cambridge University Students' Union]]]]
In the United Kingdom, the first of these banners were sometimes painted by local signwriters, coachpainters or decorators. More often than not, they were made by a member of the local branch who was considered to be artistic. However, from 1837 onwards, more than three quarters were made by the firm of [[George Tutill]] of [[Chesham]] in [[Buckinghamshire]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/banners_01.shtml|title=History - British History in depth: Banners of the British Labour Movement|publisher=BBC}}</ref> All their banners were made from pure [[silk]] woven by [[Huguenots]] in [[London]]. At the height of banner production there were said to be 17,000 [[loom]]s in operation.

The silk was stretched taut over a wooden frame and coated with India rubber, and the [[Oil paint|oil]] colours applied to it were 'old', i.e. had been standing around for a while. This allowed the [[paint]] to dry quickly and to make it more pliant or elastic.

There were many [[design]]s from the [[Bible]] (e.g. [[David]] slaying [[Goliath]]), from [[heraldry]] or from popular tradition, e.g. the "all-seeing eye", or [[symbol]]s of truth, hope or justice.

===Present===
[[File:Minster Church DSC 9374.jpg|thumb|150px|left|St Materiana depicted on the church banner at Minster, Cornwall]]

With the advent of [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] governments in Britain after the [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979 general election]], trades union banners lost their popularity, and many languished in damp cellars or lofts. Additionally the large number of trade union mergers (see for example [[UNISON]] and [[Amicus (trade union)|Amicus]]) meant that many banners no longer had the correct union name on and became obsolete. In the last 10 years or so, the interest in these banners has been rekindled, and many books, videos, postcards and the like have been produced to help people rediscover and celebrate this part of the history of working men and women.

[[Durham Miners Gala]] is probably the largest current parade of trade union banners.

There are special museums which restore, preserve and exhibit [[trade union]] banners, e.g. the [[People's History Museum]] in [[Manchester city centre|Manchester]] and [[Beamish Museum]] in the North East.

==Church banners==
Design is all-important in a banner for [[ecclesiastical]] use. The banner maker needs a sound knowledge of [[religious symbolism]] and [[iconography]]. There is also the question of its use, i.e. indoor or outdoor. If outdoor, it needs weatherproofing and must be able to be carried. Whether indoor or outdoor, proper storage provision must be made. The types of material can vary from vinyl to cloth.

==References==
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{{Decorative arts}}

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[[Category:Embroidery]]
[[Category:Textile arts]]
[[Category:Textile techniques]]