William Kilburn tea towel

William Kilburn was a botanical illustrator and textile designer born in Dublin in 1745. He was apprenticed to a cotton and linen printer in Dublin before moving to London and starting to sell his own designs. He later purchased a calico printing factory at Wallington in Surrey and produced his own work. He went on to be the most famous designer of block-printed cottons in the 18th century, he created exquisitely detailed designs featuring superbly realised flowers and plants. The V&A holds a unique document dating from 1790, the Kilburn Album, featuring more than 200 of his watercolour textile designs.