An old engraving of Arkwright’s water or spinning frame. It is from a Victorian mechanical engineering book of the 1880s. The water frame is a spinning frame that is powered by a water-wheel. Richard Arkwright (1732–1792), who patented it in 1769, designed the machine for making cotton thread. It was first used in 1765 and was able to spin 96 threads at a time, far faster than ever before. In 1770 Arkwright and partners built a water-powered mill in Cromford, Derbyshire, England, UK. It soon employed over 300 people and is often regarded as the first factory of the Industrial Revolution.


An old engraving of Arkwright’s water or spinning frame. It is from a Victorian mechanical engineering book of the 1880s. The water frame is a spinning frame that is powered by a water-wheel. Richard Arkwright (1732–1792), who patented the technology in 1769, designed the machine for the production of cotton thread. It was first used in 1765 and was able to spin 96 threads at a time, far faster than ever before. The frame was originally powered by horses at a factory built by Arkwright and partners in Nottingham. In 1770 Arkwright and partners built a water-powered mill in Cromford, Derbyshire, England, UK. It soon employed over 300 people and is often regarded as the first factory of the Industrial Revolution.


Size: 3780px × 3567px
Location: Cromford, Derbyshire, England, UK
Photo credit: © M&N / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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