A mechanical Jacquard loom, front and rear elevations. Engraving by Pegard after L. Guiguet. This device for weaving textiles was invented in 1804 by the French weaver and inventor Joseph Marie Jacquard (1752-1834). It had a number of novel design features and was the first to be automatically controlled. It was controlled by a number of perforated cards, the holes corresponding to the weave pattern. When this was introduced into factories, there were riots among workers who feared losing their jobs.