Textiles company Finlayson of Tampere, Finland was founded in 1820 by James Finlayson, a Scottish Quaker and socially conscious entrepreneur. In 1836 Finlayson sold the factory on condition that his name would be retained. The company grew to become Tampere's largest employer, employing over 3,000 people at its peak, and in the 1960s and 1970s, along with Marimekko and Tampella, helped to define the distinctive bold, large-scale style of Finnish textile design that characterised the era and is so collectable today.