Courtaulds Textiles

English clothing and textile company. It is among the five most important in Europe. Established by George Courtauld, and then expanded by his son Samuel, it began to produce silk in Essex in 1809. By 1850, it was the largest English manufacturer of silk crepe for funerals. When long periods of mourning fell out of favor, the company changed its product line and in 1904 acquired the exclusive rights to rayon. During the 1950s, the group produced the first British acrylic fiber, Courtelle. In the early 1990s, it employed more than 22,000 workers. The company sponsors the Courtauld Institute of Art.