Selvage width strip of tightly woven wool apparel fabric, in maroon. Both selvages intact. A white stripe is woven into the selvages. Marked on white paper seal glued to fabric: "114/100 (/) 1.92 (/) Roubaix (/) Fr."
Roubaix was a premier weaving center in France; known for its woolens but producing fabrics of many qualities for both the domestic and export markets. This group of selvage width fabric samples was collected by a US Consular officer and sent back to the Dept. of Commerce as an example of the quality of the competition American woolen manufacturers faced in products from Roubaix.
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.