A selvage width sample of woven wool apparel fabric in purple, Both selvages intact. Remains of blue and white paper label glued along one edge: "108/00 (/) 1.60 (/) Roubaix (/) Fr."
France (and particularly Roubaix) was an important manufacturer of various qualities of woolen 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 French manufacturers.
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.