Sample of woven paper yarn matting for table, floor, or wall; Germany; 1907. Dark & light blue ground with double bands of brown checks. Piece has been cut out of one corner. Consular Collection: Part of collection of samples acquired by US Consuls overseas between about 1898 and 1918, in the interests of promoting US trade and business opportunities; which was transferred by the Dept. of Commerce in the 1920s-30s.
Textiles made from spun paper yarns were around in the late 19th century, primarily for industrial uses such as sacking,when the standard jute sack imparted loose fibers or an odor to the contents. In 1907, German manufacturers promoted new uses for paper yarns: the product would become extremely important to both civilians and the military in the Central Powers during the First World War, when the British blockade cut them off from supplies of other textile fibers. The US and UK both explored the use of paper yarns during and after the war.
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