Mallorca

"Of all the factories on Mallorca, the most numerous, important and those with the most employees are the factories dedicated to making thread and fabric. They work with hemp, linen, cotton, wool and silk. We can distinguish between two types: those that due to the number of staff and machines (at times, steam machines) merit this importance and those that have a limited number of workers and use simple, manually operated looms (telers) and lathes (torns).

In addition to the factories making fabric from linen, cotton and hemp in Palma, the most important ones, there are two more in the district of establiments, another two in Artà and one in Santa María and Sóller each. The fabric-making industry in Sóller grew the most, especially due to the illness affecting oranges. The industrious people are now trying to earn the income once gained from the fruit which barely required special dedication through the loom. But, if before they offered tenacious competition to French fabric, paying strong duties at customs, now they struggle against the fairly cheap Catalan material, representing the hardest competition. The lack of tariffs makes it impossible for Mallorcan products to have the same prices as the Catalan ones made with steam machines. However, Sóller’s fabrics are stronger, but the majority of purchasers tend to be more concerned with their wallets. At any rate, it is difficult to find a single island town that doesn’t carry out some weaving activity, and the ones in Inca and Santa Margalida are especially prolific.

The most characteristic and important Mallorcan products in this industry are shirts for men, trousers and other items of clothing for both sexes. For these they use cotton, linen or a mix of the two and all generally referred to as llista mallorquina. They also manufacture linen and cotton fabric for bed and table linen (in particular, tablecloths, napkins and towels with fringe), distinguished especially for their resistance and quality. After the llista category of products, the other important ones are wool blankets for beds, the manufacture of the latter having developed unusually in the last few years. Of both categories, nearly half of the first and 80% of the second are exported to the peninsula, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the other former colonies in the Americas.

The manufacture of silk fabric, so important before, has slowly declined this century until completely disappearing. Not so many years ago, a silk and velvet fabric factory still survived on Calle San Miguel street in Palma. Their articles were highly valued due to their beauty, delicacy and strength. In some homes we can still see some of this factory’s original damask curtains and blankets. We can also find other blankets made in Palma long ago and with a certainly singular beauty. Today, limited silk ribbons (mides) are made to decorate images of the Virgin Mary, like a votive offering, or as a type of souvenir from some sanctuary. In Deià and concretely in Llucalcari, there is a man who makes these mides for the pilgrims visiting Lluc."

Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria. Las Baleares por la palabra y el grabado. Majorca: General Part. Ed. Sa Nostra, Caja de Baleares. Palma de Mallorca. 1982.