Browsing by Subject "matkahuopa"

The purpose of the study is to investigate the time of Villayhtymä’s 1959–1969 and Hyvilla’s 1970–1978 factories from the point of view of one textile, the travelling rug. The research is a continuation of my Bachelor’s thesis, and the meaning of it was to provide a broader review of the travelling rugs of that time, and thus to find out more exact facts about the travelling rugs’ material, manufacturing process, design, designers, uses, and connection to society – both domestic and foreign – through events and exports. In addition, the research aimed to define what kind the travelling rugs were. The research strategy was a historical case study. The material was selectively collected from Villayhtymä’s and Hyvilla’s head offices and Hyvinkää’s factory archives of Valvilla Wool Mill Museum’s archives of Hyvinkää City Museum. After the initial analysis, the material for a more detailed analysis was selected by themes. The answers to research questions were formed by using content analysis. According to the research results, Finnish wool was the most important material for travelling rugs due to its special features. However, there were difficulties in applying it due to low availability. The manufacturing process included many phases from sorting wool to finishing. Nature was one of the key subjects in the design of travelling rugs, and Aune Gummerus appeared to be one of the most significant designers of travelling rugs during Villayhtymä. Lapponica, Lake Blanket, and Moharella were the most important series of travelling rugs. Several different purposes of uses were suggested for travelling rugs, and they were presented at fairs and exhibitions. The designers were rewarded both domestically and abroad, and the travelling rugs made of Finnish wool were also ordered to many distant countries. The travelling rugs provide a connection to homes, decoration, design, society, and the surrounding world in the 1960s and 1970s. The Finnish design and quality were appreciated, and on the basis of the results, it seems that despite the difficulties of the wool industry, the travelling rug as a single textile has been a popular textile.