Length of golden yellow "Pussy Willow" silk; a fine soft radium-like, plain weave fabric (mfr #5459) The HR Mallinson & Co trade name Pussy Willow was the firm's best known and most important product. Advertised as tub fast (washable) and pure dye. This length, in gold (mfr # 3486) is a solid color coordinate that matches the golden yellow used in various colorways of certain designs in the Early American print series of dress silks.
Mallinson's 1929 "Early American" series of printed dress silks was based on historical events and figures that were perceived at the time to consitute a shared American story. It was the last of the company's line of designs based on American themes in which each design was printed in at least seven colors, in several colorways, on three or four different ground cloths. The stock market crash and economic depression that followed made the investment in this kind of design unprofitable.
A length of warp-printed silk taffeta. An all silk stiff lustrous plain weave fabric with a warp face ribbed surface produced by warp yarns which are much finer and more numerous than the filling yarns. Allover floral design printed directly on the stretched warps before the fabric is woven; this gives an impressionistic blurred effect to the finished fabric. Colors:gray, brown, black and yellow, on a white ground.
A length of the "Comanche" design dress silk; Mallinson's American Indian series, with small samples of 6 additional colorways attached with a Mallinson tag at the upper right. The manufacturer's number for this fabric quality (Pussy Willow) is #5459. Pussy Willow was a long time Mallinson trade name for an unweighted, pure dye plain weave silk with a soft hand.. At the time it was popular it was considered similar to a generic fabric type called "radium". This is a large sample with small colorway samples attached. The large sample in this group is in red, green, blue, black, and orange on a tan or gold ground.
Mallinson's American Indian series followed the "National Parks" and "Wonder Caves of America" designs, and illustrates the company's continuing interest in using American themes, and in utilizing the collections of New York area museums for research and inspiration.
Duplan Silk Corp. figured novelty crepe, 1921. Figured novelty crepe, woven at the Duplan mill in Hazelton, Pa. Silk crepe fabric with lustrous face, having an allover pattern which combines a satin warp figure and an extra-weft artificial silk figure. This differs from T04257.000 in that the extra artificial silk weft is more closely woven in on the back of the fabric.
A length of printed pure dye silk crepe. Soft lustrous plain weave fabric "Nosegay", one of the H.R. Mallinson & Co. George Washington Bicentennial Print series. Tiny baskets of posies on a plain red background, surrounded by dots in groups of three and four, each group representing one flower.
A length of Mallinson's rayon pile transparent velvet fabric: "Orchid tissue Velvet". Sheer, almost transparent, plain weave fabric having a Japan silk base and rayon pile. Piece dyed in solid colors. This example dyed beige. Other samples: T05751.A (black) and T05751.C.(tan). Mfr's quality # 159. This color is mfr # 6300. Transparent velvet was a marketing name beginning in the 1920s for a solid cut pile woven on a sheer ground, giving a very soft hand. Transparent velvets were also usually rayon pile on a silk ground..
A length of M. C. Migel & Co., Inc. Mexixe series, 1914. Taffeta silk: "Mexixe Pussy Willow". Pure dye. Design titlted "Mexican Moon: of swirling multi-color circles scattered over a gray-beige ground, the ground fabric is plain weave with a small satin weave cross check in black. Same design as T1982 on a different ground cloth. MC Migel Mexixe series, 1914. The Mexixe series was publicized as the first time an American textile company had utilized American design inspiration without looking to Paris first. The line was inspired by the prominence of Mexico and the US southwest in the news because of the US war against Pancho Villa.
M.C. Migel & Co., which in 1915 became H.R. Mallinson & Co., Inc., was known for innovation in silk design and silk manufacturing technology.
Length of Morocco series printed Silk Crepe:"Subbair." Smooth lustrous plain weave weighted silk fabric made with crepe weft yarn as in flat crepe. Printed repeat design of a cactus flower a detached leaf and flower motif with Arabic script. Company #s - fabric quality #450; pattern #814. One of H.R. Mallinson's 1930 "Morocco" print series, inspired by the film starring Gary Cooper and Marlene Dietrich, which was nomiated for 4 Academy Awards in 1931.
Once the Great Depression took hold in 1930, textile companies attempted to remain profitable by cutting costs, including moving from "Pure Dye" to "Weighted" silks: weighting meant adding a chemical to the dye bath that was absorbed by the silk and made it fel somewhat heavier and of a better quality.
