Jacquard Loom. Illustration of a Jacquard Loom , a device for weaving textiles, from the catalogue of the Great Exhibition of 1851. Invented in the early 19th century by 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; complex designs can be achieved. Silk bearing a woven-in design is still referred to as Jacquard silk.