Back to textiles
Bridgwater's Blake Museum
Textile Collections
The Baird Collection - made in Bridgwater
Collection pictures
Click on an image for a larger one
Baird collection introduction
S. Leffman Ltd., later taken over by Baird Wear, was one of the major suppliers for Marks and Spencer until very recently. High-quality underwear brands such as the Partos and St. Michael quickly established themselves in the public consciousness. The factory at Halesleigh Road was a major employer in the town. The brothers S. & F. Leffman were well-known businessmen, often seen to be chauffeur-driven around Bridgwater. The closure of the factory due to the cost of labour coincided with a general decline in Bridgwater's industry.
The Blake Museum in Bridgwater has catalogued the samples from the factory in order to learn about the town's social history. Students from the local FE college undertook the task of cataloging a data base of the corsets and various undergarments that were produced in the town.
7 February 2010
© 2010
All text and images are subject to copyright.
