Born July 7, 1752, in Lyon; died Aug. 7, 1834, in Oullins, department of the Rhone. French weaver and inventor.

In about 1800, Jacquard perfected a hand weaving loom by developing a device for producing fabrics with large designs. His invention attracted attention at an industrial exposition in Paris in 1801, and he was invited to Paris to work at the Museum (Conservatory) of Arts and Crafts. In 1808, Jacquard designed a new model of a machine for weaving in designs, the jacquard loom, which became widely used in weaving.