A view of three common methods of processing flax: beetling, a textile finishing method in which hammers repeatedly fall on the fabric imparting a lustrous and absorbent effect that was ideal for linen; scutching, the extraction of the fiber from flax straw; and hackling which splits and straightens the flax fibers, and removes the fibrous core and impurities. Ulster, Northern Ireland. Created in 1791 by William Hincks for the Earl of Antrim.

---

Size: 4488px × 3504px
Location: Ulster, Northern Ireland
Photo credit: © De Luan / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 1792, 18th, antiquarian, archival, archive, art, artist, artwork, beetling, business, century, colour, commerce, culture, enterprise, family, fine, flax, hackling, heritage, hincks, history, icon, iconic, illustration, image, industrial, industry, ireland, irish, linen, lithograph, northern, painting, people, pictorial, picture, print, quintessential, realism, scutching, social, textile, textiles, ulster, vintage, william, workers, working