Selvage width strip of woven wool fabric in a rose-pink shade. Ends cut at an angle with remains of blue and white paper label glued at one end. Both selvages intact. Marked on white paper seal glued to fabric: "108/00 (/) 1.49 (/) Roubaix (/) Fr.". Marked on larger tag: "Roubaix, France, No. 224."
Roubaix was the premier wool weaving center in France; producing fine fabrics for both the domestic and export markets. It is likely that this group of selvage width strips of wool were all 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.