Selvage width strip of woven wool flannel apparel fabric; a specked effect in blue with a white nubby surface. Both selvages intact. . Rectangular pieces cut off near the ends. Marked on white paper seal glued to fabric: "Roubaix (/) 114/ (/) 1.78 (/) France."
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.