Museum of Printed Textilesat the crossroads of history, art and textiles

The saga of the textile industry in Mulhouse began in 1746 and fabric printing contributed to the growth of the city throughout the 18th century. By the 19th century Mulhouse and Alsace had become world leaders in the printed textile market!

It was in 1833 that textile manufacturers in Mulhouse began to safeguard their creations. Better still, they carried out research in other countries and looked at different eras to enrich their collection.

Initially the goal was to provide the industry with sources of inspiration. This is still the case today. The collection now has 6 million samples and 50,000 textile documents!

Housed in a grand 19th century building, part of this huge collection offers up its beauty and elegance to visitors for a sumptuous journey through history and art.

Indian calico prints are the stars of the museum and for good reason. When they first arrived in Europe at the end of the 16th century, people were seduced by their rich weaves and original patterns. From 1746, the city of Mulhouse was inspired by refined workmanship and printing techniques, using wood blocks then copper rollers, to embark upon the manufacture of these sumptuous fabrics itself.

Subsequently, the birth of the roller machine would radically transform the textile industry. Shortly after, developments in chemistry provided manufacturers with a new technique to explore - synthetic dyes. The ground floor of the museum is dedicated to these revolutions. It also houses a luxurious collection of cashmere wools.

The latest developments in printed textiles also have their dedicated space. From flat table or rotating printers to inkjet, the great and wonderful history of textiles continues to amaze us!

In addition to the regularly up-dated permanent collection, the Museum of Printed Textiles offers some remarkable temporary exhibitions.

For example, the museum is open to collaborations such as the one with the Museum of Rixheim Wallpaper based on the vegetation theme.

More recently, the MISE greeted the high-priestess of chic underwear Chantal Thomass for a remarkable and noteworthy rather "Impertinent" exhibition.
And Alain Manoukian, the famous pianist, composed the music for the "Bal (l) ade" exhibition which runs until 30th September, 2018.

Planning a visit with family or friends? The Museum of Printed Textiles organises courses so you can create small wonders with your own hands to take away as a souvenir ☺

Discover wood block printing to create your own tablecloths or other textile products (maximum 5 people). Or create your own table block printed patchwork and sandwich your patches together in a sewing session.

These are one-day workshops. Don’t hesitate to inquire at the museum and book your session!

Want to make your experience learning about printing and beautiful patterns last even longer? The Museum of Printed Textiles offers a combined ticket with the Museum of Rixheim Wallpaper, just a few kilometres from Mulhouse. Full-price ticket plus an extra €2.

Professionals can also access the entire Museum's collection of patterns (6 million samples), from toile de jouy fabrics to Indian calico prints, from flowers to feathers, Art Nouveau patterns to batiks and so on. Hermès, IKEA, Oxbow and Clairefontaine did just that ☺

And the icing on the cake is the MISE boutique full of gift ideas. If you come late in the year, don’t miss the wonderful Christmas market!