The French silk weaver Joseph Marie Jacquard invented an apparatus in 1801 which, when fitted to a loom, could automatically weave intricate variegated patterns in silk. The loom was controlled by a large number of perforated pattern cards, each row of punched holes in a card corresponding to a row of the textile being woven. By 1812, 11, 000 looms were in use not restricted to silk. The Smith Brothers Jacquard loom, illustrated here, was on display at the London International Exhibition in 1862 and obtained a prize medal. Charles Babbage, the inventor of the first mechanical computer, was inspired by the Jacquard system to use punch cards to programme his Analytical Engine.