Sample of silk and cotton poplin in the raw; National Silk Dyeing Co., 1915. Poplin of cotton and silk, woven in the raw, as it comes from the loom. Part of a donation of 63 samples representing the processes of silk skein-dyeing, and silk piece-dyeing and printing, given by the National Silk Dyeing Co of Paterson, New Jersey, in 1915. National Silk Dyeing Co., headquartered at 140 Market St., Paterson, NJ was formed from five silk dyeing firms in Peterson, NJ (Auger & Simon Silk Dyeing Company; Emil Geering Silk Dyeing Co., Knipscher & Maas Silk Dyeing Company, Kearns Brothers, and Gaede Silk Dyeing Co.) and a fifth company from Allentown, Pa. (Lotte Brothers under the leadership of Charles I. Auger. National Silk Dyeing immediately became one of the large silk dyeing conglomerates in the nation. It operated into the Great Depression but was eventually broken up and sold off.
Sample of Collins & Aikman Corporation figured cotton upholstery velvet, 1929. Multi-colored, yarn-dyed, jacquard-woven cotton pile fabric withtwill weave ground. An allover large scale bold floral pattern stands out in relief against the voided ground where the pile yarn has been interwoven with the ground structure. Predominatly dark blue and white with lighter blues, yellows, greens, tan, and gray with a tan weft. Some of the design elements have been striped dark blue and white to imitate an antique strie. Half width. Machine overlocked on three sides; no selvage.
Collins & Aikman Corporation was founded in 1891 and incorporated in 1929. The company made high end upholstery fabrics, including velvets and plushes in cotton, mohair, and silk, and beginning in the 1910s, artifical silk (rayon). Early on the firm competed successfully in the market for automotive and aviation fabrics. In the 1920s the company had mills in Astoria (Queens), New York; Philadelphia, PA; and North Carolina.
Sample of all-cotton plush, Contrexeville Mfg. Co., 1914. Solid cut pile in gray, with an irregular strie effect in the pile. Medium to heavy weight, high, dense pile.. Pile, ground warp and weft all the same color. 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. 35.5" H x 28" W
Sample of printed all-cotton plush, Contrexeville Mfg. Co., 1914. Natural off white cotton ground and pile, printed with a houndstooth check (also described as a shepherd's plaid) pattern in black. 35.5" L x 28" W. One of a group of samples donated by the manufacturer in August 1914. 1988 cataloguer identified this as a weft pile or velveteen weave.
Sample of printed silk foulard; color/pattern not noted on card.. National Silk Dyeing Co.; 1913. One of twenty examples of silk woven in the raw and printed in the piece. Original sample # 177. 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.
Bolt end of bleached, lightweight white cotton shirting, Not a full selvage width; one selvage only (24" W) by about 7" L. Blue stamp brand or trademark: At top, the words "Finest Quality", below a line and patterned border; below a circular foliate frame enclosing a seal with the name Allidina Visram, the words East Africa & Uganda, and an elaborate crown made up of a lion's head, elephant head, and oval cartouches containing animals and the names of British Dominions. The crown has the words "United The Crown India New Zealand, Australia, Canada, S. Africa"; and underneath, in the headband of the crown, "Empires Unity". Under the foliate frame are the words "42 Yards" which is the length of the fabric piece on the bolt. Also attached is a paper label "American Consulate at Mombasa, B.E.A. Trade Opportunity No. 150 of July 28, 1917. Sample No. 5 - White Cotton Shirting. Stamped # 83881, probably the trade report #. One of a collection of many samples collected by US Consuls around the world between about 1898 and 1918 transferred to the US National Museum in the 1930s. This sample is from a prominent Red Sea region trader, Allidina Visram, but also references the unity of the British Empire during the Great War. The cotton shirting may have been made in India, from which Visram had come to the Red Sea region as a a child.
Length of Cheney Brothers lightweight silk and wool fabric, called Bengaline, with crosswise ribs. 1913. Plain weave, warp-faced, with fine horizontal ribbing. Silk warp and fine wool weft. Piece dyed. Light gray. (W. 24 in., L. 1-1/2 yd.) Soft hand.
Red open weave fabric with large white dots in groups of three and scattered small white dots. Marked on glued paper label: "Sample No. 10. 21 in. wide, 6\ per yd.."
Fragment of purple silk fabric, Chinese. Came in a package with other samples & price chart. One selvage. Marked on pinned paper label: "Sample No.1". (duplicate sample)
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.
Swatch of black and white woven stripe cotton fabric. Stapled to white cardboard backing with black & white illustration of large building (Department store). Marked on card: "Aktieselskabet (/) Magasin Dn Nord (/) Coll. (/) Kjobenhavn, K."; also: "Imported" and "Brede 38 Tom (/) Pris".
Swatch of blue wool tweed apparel fabric. Marked on piece of cardboard stamped with seal of US Consulate in Prague, found in envelope with samples: "Referring to Despatch Dated May 5th 1904. (/) Samples of woolen materials requested by circular of 18th February 1904"
Marked on pinned slip of paper: "120 cm (/) C. 2.10""
Swatch of dark blue twill weave wool apparel fabric. Marked on piece of cardboard stamped with seal of US Consulate in Prague, found in envelope with samples."Referring to Despatch Dated May 5th 1904. (/) Samples of woolen materials requested by circular of 18th February 1904"; Marked on pinned slip of paper: "120 (/) 2.4 (/) Crown".
Sample cut of white plain weave cotton cloth; a blue woven band at one end. Label attached: "Sample No. 7 While Sukka (/) Size 47 x 67 a piece.. . and quality as per sample. Packing 5-10 scores in a bale. Monthly consumption about 100 bales." and " A 2083 93881 (/) American Consulate Mombasa, B.E.A. (/) Trade Opportunity No. 150. of July 28, 1917. Sample No. 7 White Sukka""
An envelope found with the Mombasa textile group reads: "Department of Commerce, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Washington. 93881 (1917), Mombasa Textiles Brit. Manuf. CR 260 1917 FTO25764" (or FTO625764?) This is the Consular Report associated with this textile sample. At the time of this correspondence, Mombasa was in British East Africa.
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.
Swatch of blue wool tweed apparel fabric. Marked on piece of cardboard stamped with seal of US Consulate in Prague, found in envelope with samples."Referring to Despatch Dated May 5th 1904. (/) Samples of woolen materials requested by circular of 18th February 1904"; " Marked on pinned slip of paper: "140 (/) 3.3".
