Sample of Collins & Aikman mercerized cotton upholstery velour, 1929. One of two samples of the same fabric, this one in plum (the other in rust-brown) Heavy, closely-woven solid cut pile fabric, with a short pile pressed flat to give it a smooth, suede-like finish. Half width.
Collins & Aikman Corporation was founded in 1891 and incorporated in 1929. The company made high end upholstery fabrics, including velvets and plushes in cotton, mohair, and silk, and beginning in the 1910s, artifical silk (rayon). Early on the firm competed successfully in the market for automotive and aviation fabrics. In the 1920s the company had mills in Astoria (Queens), New York; Philadelphia, PA; and North Carolina.