These volumes are sample books from the archives of the Parisian textile firm J. Claude Frères & Co. Each volume represents the patterns and range of colourways of one year’s production, offering an excellent insight into the extraordinary range of designs and colourways produced by the firm. They are also important documents of taste: while the 1856 volume demonstrates prevailing mid Victorian taste for the repeat small floral print and dense, complex designs, the 1891 volume reveals a strong Japanese influence evidenced by increased blank space around motifs and a more naturalistic design aesthetic.