Flying Shuttle Loom, circa 1931

This loom, made in Greenfield Village in the early 1930s, has a special attachment--a flying shuttle. Developed in the 1730s, the flying shuttle dramatically increased weavers' output. This device allowed weavers to send the shuttle, which carries the thread, back and forth using only one hand. With a flying shuttle, weavers could produce wider, better-quality cloth more quickly and with less effort.