Sample of piece-dyed silk ratine, in "Alice Blue".. National Silk Dyeing Co.; 1913. Examples of silk woven in the raw and dyed in the piece. Original sample # 149. One of a group of 145 samples of silk fabrics and yarns of various types, weaves, uses, and origins donated in 1913 by the National Silk Dyeing Co., of Paterson, New Jersey (America's "Silk City"), which was one of the largest and most comprehensive silk dyeing and printing firms in the U.S.
Sample length of The Shelton Looms "Alfresco" printed mohair plush fabric; 1914. Chiffon plush, "Alfresco" - Mohair pile, cotton back. Very long pile, flattened diagonally; overprinted in a diagonally oriented plaid effect in plum, brown, and green. Used for trimmings, millinery, etc. Width, 50". 1 sample. One of a group of pile fabrics given in 1914 (accessioned in 1915) by Sidney Blumenthal and Co., Inc, owner and operator of The Shelton Looms, one of the best known and most important American pile fabric producers. whose mills were in Shelton, Connecticut. Original fabric woven 50" wide. Length of sample sent was not noted.
Piece-dyed silk crepe de chine, in white; National Silk Dyeing Co.; 1913 Examples of silk woven in the raw and dyed in the piece. Original sample # 103. One of a group of 145 samples of silk fabrics and yarns of various types, weaves, uses, and origins donated in 1913 by the National Silk Dyeing Co., of Paterson, New Jersey (America's "Silk City"), which was one of the largest and most comprehensive silk dyeing and printing firms in the U.S.
Sample of piece-dyed silk marquisette, in "American Beauty" National Silk Dyeing Co.; 1913. Examples of silk woven in the raw and dyed in the piece. Original sample # 138. One of a group of 145 samples of silk fabrics and yarns of various types, weaves, uses, and origins donated in 1913 by the National Silk Dyeing Co., of Paterson, New Jersey (America's "Silk City"), which was one of the largest and most comprehensive silk dyeing and printing firms in the U.S.
A length of Cheney Brothers printed Bengaline tie silk, 1925. An all-silk fabric, horizontally or crosswise ribbed or corded, and printed with a large Roman-style plaid (#57), in red blue and tan. 6"x8" sample cut from corner. (W. 24 in., 36 in.) Com. # 6178
Sample of all-cotton printed furnishing plush, Contrexeville Mfg. Co., 1914. Solid cut pile in green, light weight ground, dense pile.. Printed (probably discharge-printed) with an allover design arranged in slide repeat rows, of lace-edge scallop shells and floral sprays in off white, pinks, light greens, and dark red/maroon.. Contrexeville Mfg. Co. was an important maker of cotton velvets and plushes from the 19th into the 20th centuries, and held several patents for improvements to the pile fabric loom. One of a group of samples donated by the manufacturer in August 1914.
American Woolen Co. Boucle cloaking fabric sample, 1912. 22 ounce weight, in Navy. A cut and curled long pile weave in a diagonal twill. For women's winter cloaks. Produced by American Woolen Co's National & Providence Worsted Mills.
The Providence and National Worsted Mills, founded in Rhode Island in the 1870s, were originally two companies owned by Charles Fletcher, one a spinning and one a weaving mill for working with worsted yarns. Fletcher amalgamated the two companies into one in 1893, and then sold this company to the large Lawrence-based American Woolen Company in 1899. When the Lawrence mill workers struck against pay cuts in 1912 (the Bread and Roses strike), the American Woolen Company was one of the firms affected. The Rhode Island mills, however, did not strike.
Sample length of Cheney Brothers lightweight silk satin, with a printed peony pattern. Border design of large peonies in pinks and reds against a background of small white flowers with yellow centers and green leaves and stems. Champagne (light beige) ground. CB logo tag stapled to corner of sample (W. 30 in., L. 1-1/2 yd.)
A sample length of The Shelton Looms "Nuage" mohair plush fabric; with a pastel and black stylized leaf printed design, 1914. A Chiffon plush with mohair pile and a cotton back. Printed on the reverse, so that it shows through and colors the white pile, with an allover stylized design of leaf shapes in pastel tones of pink, blue, and green, with outlines in black. Used for trimmings, evening gowns, wraps, etc. Width: 50"; 2 samples. One of a group of pile fabrics given in 1914 (accessioned in 1915) by Sidney Blumenthal and Co., Inc, owner and operator of The Shelton Looms, one of the best known and most important American pile fabric producers., whose mills were in Shelton, Connecticut. Original fabric woven 50" wide.
Sample cut of House of Salt's "Arabian Lamb" silk plush imitation fur fabric, 1914. Silk pile, cut and curled; cotton back. Color: black, 50" wide. The company, "House of Salt's" was the American branch (opened after the McKinley Tariff of 1890) of the important English firm founded by Sir Titus Salt, in Bradford, in the 1830s. Sir Titus also founded the industrial community of Saltaire, on principles of providing his workers with decent housing, and educational and cultural opportunities. Salt's various imitation furs, with silk or mohair pile, were given brand names such as Sealette, Esquimette, Meritex, Saltex Arabian Lamb, and Pomoire.
Cheney Brothers printed novelty modernist design silk fabric sample cut. A soft and drapey plain weave fabric. Print is an all over conventionalized 'Egyptian' geometric arc pattern in tan, red, green, lavender, and purple. Sample has significant fading, portions of the lavender areas are pink. Mfr.# 55895. Small sample cut, 7" L x 33" W; Full selvage width length of same pattern, (W. 40 in., L. 36 in.) also in collection (.00A).
Printed silk mull. Dark blue ground with pattern of small scattered diamonds in red and white small scattered diamonds. National Silk Dyeing Co.; 1913. One of twenty examples of silk woven in the raw and printed in the piece. Original sample # 175. From a group of 145 samples of silk fabrics and yarns of various types, weaves, uses, and origins donated in 1913 by the National Silk Dyeing Co., of Paterson, New Jersey (America's "Silk City"), which was one of the largest and most comprehensive silk dyeing and printing firms in the U.S.
Sample of all-cotton plush gray goods, Contrexeville Mfg Co. , 1914. The pile, ground warp and ground weft are all in the undyed and unbleached state. The sample is woven double and is partially split to illustrate how the two fabrics woven face to face are separated by the cutting machine as the piece comes off the loom. 33.5" L x 28" W. Contrexeville Mfg. Co. was an important maker of cotton velvets and plushes from the 19th into the 20th centuries, and held several patents for improvements to the pile fabric loom. One of a group of samples donated by the manufacturer in August 1914.
