Jacquard, Joseph-Marie

(1752-1834)

   inventor

   Born in lyon, the son of a weaver, Joseph-Marie Jacquard developed the Jacquard loom, which enabled a single operator to weave complex patterns. The Jacquard loom began a technological revolution in the textile industry, and the system of punched cards used in its operation became a prototype for the first computers. Because the production of patterned fabrics was so costly, Jacquard, in 1790, began to design a loom that would weave patterns automatically. Finishing the project in 1801, Jacquard demonstrated his automatic loom in Paris and, in 1804, was awarded a patent and medal for his design. By 1812, an estimated 11,000 Jacquard looms were in use in France. By a system of hooks, needles, and perforated thick paper cards, intricate woven patterns could be created. Modern Jacquard looms are still in use and punched cards, similar to those used in Jacquard's loom, were soon applied to other machines, including early information-storage systems.