A sample length of Cheney Brothers "Printed Frisons" dress silk, 1913. Pinkish-tan ground of slubbed (spun silk yarns) plain weave silk, printed with a closely spaced modernist design of irregular multi-colored spots. Fauve-inspired print colors are dark green, orange, yellow, medium green, medium blue, light blue, dark red, Some colors may be due to overprinting one shade with another. File gives fabric width as 30", with a donation of a full yard length. Cheney's numbers are: Com: 3755; No: 77357, Color: 3724/1 Part of a large donation of fibers, yarns, fabrics, original designs, and printing tools given by Cheney Brothers, one of the earliest and largest of America's silk manufacturers, in 1913.
Cheney Brothers, dyed silk yarn skein. Purple. 1 skein. Part of gift illustrating all the steps in making silk textiles at the Cheney Brothers mill in South Manchester, CT. Sales offices: 4th Ave. and 18th St., New York City
A sample length of Cheney Brothers silk millinery and trimming velvet. A bright red-orange silk cut pile on a black plain weave ground; the pile is pressed flat for a panne velvet. The red-orange pile on a black ground gives a 'burnt orange' color effect. The fringed selvage indicates this is a double-woven velvet. Very fine, lightweight, but dense pile. Main piece - W. 19 in., L. 120 in.; cut piece with W. 5 in., L. 11 in. is also included.
Cylinder of Cheney Brothers Silk Tram Floss, 1913 Tram floss. Green. 1 cylinder. 1 in. Dia., L. 1-3/4 in. Part of gift illustrating all the steps in making silk textiles at the Cheney Brothers mill in South Manchester, CT. Sales offices: 4th Ave. and 18th St., New York City
Enlarged design of T2826, Cheney Brothers printed crepe velour, prepared for pantograph plates. This design is the enlarged version of the original design and colorways, T2823, which includes 2 samples showing three colorways.
Depicting green, gray, red, yellow, brown, and blue striped floral motif. "#1329" along with other writings in pencil on the top of the paper. "14 Length" written in pencil underneath a curved line in pencil along the right edge of the paper. Various numbers written near the bottom right corner. "T2824" written on the top left corner of the verso. Abstract, somewhat circular pencil mark on the verso.
Four cones of Cheney Brothers dyed silk yarns, 1913. Different colors. 4 cones, L. 5 in. Part of gift illustrating all the steps in making silk textiles at the Cheney Brothers mill in South Manchester, CT. Sales offices: 4th Ave. and 18th St., New York City
Pantograph plate for transferring textile design to printing roller. Cheney Brothers, 1916. Pantograph plate of zinc, engraved with design T2827, in preparation for transerring of design to copper printing roller. Set includes the original deisgn, the enlarged design for the pantograph, the zinc pantograph plates, and the finished fabric sample. 3 specimens. A: 17.5" x 22.5"; B: 17" x 17" ; C;???
Length of Cheney Brothers "Silk Velours" in deep red. Construction; silk pile warp , cotton ground warp and weft. pile weave, solid cut pile; pile length is slightly longer than regular velvet but not quite a plush. Piece dyed garnet red. (W. 53 in., L. 36 in.)
One length and one sample cut of Cheney Brothers silk and metal thread dress goods, gold tinsel brocade. Piece dyed, figured fabric #15340, made with silk warp; silk and tinsel filling. Origin of tinsel jacquard design #7453/4380: Chinese pattern in tinsel with wreaths and characters on peach satin ground. Color Peach. Wholesale $8 per yard. A- (W. 40 in., L. 4 yds.); B- (W. 32 in., L. 6 in.)
Point paper for woven silk; Cheney Brothers, 1916. And T-2842, point paper drafts for armure silk. design for T02844, Point papers were used to plot a design out for cutting the cards for Jacquard-loom-woven textiles.
Length of a Cheney Brothers tie silk fabric, warp-printed and patterned in the weave. Jacquard-woven, satin fabric woven with two shuttles. For use in men's neckwear. Woven satin design of blue and black 'vermicelli' scrolls against a ground warp-printed with splotches of gray, white and black. (W. 24 in., L. 36 in.)
A length of Cheney Brothers printed "Sweetbriar" silk, Chinese design, 1917. A lightweight, plain weave fabric. Design No. 79921, "Chinese." Color No. 6068/5. Chinese-inspired print with cloud scrolls, butterflies, good luck symbols, and flowers in black, red, blue, green, and pink on a bright yellow ground. (W. 30 in., L. 36 in.)
Two lengths and one sample cut of a figured jacquard-woven silk and metal thread fabric #46720, made with silk warp; silk and tinsel filling. Origin of tinsel jacquard design #7439/2507/8: Overprinted with a Chinese floral design, in Chinese colorings in 2 shades of blue, canary, mahogany. Wholesale $10.50 per yard. A- (W. 40 in., L. 120 in.); B- (W. 40 in., L. 140 in.); C- (W. 32 in., L. 5 in.)
Length of Cheney Brothers "Chiffon Taffeta" dress silk, 1913. Lightweight plain weave, yarn dyed. Red weft and blue warp to give overall purple-red-blue changeable color effect. Trade name: chiffon taffeta. (W. 36 in., L. 1-1/2 yd.) The sample was folded along several vertical creases, accelerating severe shattering into six 6"x 36" strips along those lines. The shattering suggests this was not a pure-dye but a weighted silk.
Sample cut of Cheney Brothers "Broche Silk" fabric. Figured silk (and possibly artificial silk) lightweight "tissue" style fabric, jacquard woven, supplementary weft patterned "broche". Repeating half drop design of palmettes within imbricated scallops bordered by laurel . Two weft yarns: a very shiny golden yellow silk or artificial silk, and green. Dull orange (salmon) warp yarns, of silk. Pattern of weft floats in gold and green on a changeable ground of salmon shot with gold. 3"x6" and 6"x8" pieces cut from corner of the sample. (W. 49 in., L. 18 in.)
Cheney Brothers printed novelty "Zantine Silk", 1917. A plain weave, soft and drapey fabric. Printed with an allover mosaic or tessellated pattern in gray, green, lavender, and blue outlined in red. Fabric shows significant fading, lavender portions have become light pink in some areas. (W. 40 in., L. 36 in.) Co.#14671
Silk fiber process sample; Fifth draft; Cheney Brothers, 1913. Fifth draft. Silk. White. B. F. Dresser. Part of gift illustrating all the steps in making silk textiles at the Cheney Brothers mill in South Manchester, CT. Sales offices: 4th Ave. and 18th St., New York City
Enlarged textile design for pantograph plates; Cheney Brothers, 1916. Enlarged version of floral design T2831, used for transferring the designs to the pantograph plates. Design for a printed Florentine silk, T2834. 6 specimens, Dimensions listed as 19.5" x 29" and 19" x 26". Set includes the original design T2831, and the pantograph plates, T2833 (6 specimens) used on the pantograph machine to transfer the design to the copper printing roller.
depicting red, green and blue striped floral motif. "#1176-#5 Plate" written in pencil on the top edge of the paper. "21 1/2 x 26 1/4" written in pencil near the right edge of the paper. "10 am. Monday Mch 16th" written in pencil below the "21 1/2 x 26 1/4". Pairs of triangles deliberately cut out of five location on the paper. 3 pairs are cut out along the center line of the design. One pair near the right edge of the paper and another near the left. "T 2832" on the top left corner of the verso: "T" written in pencil, "2832" stamped in black ink.
Length of a Cheney Brothers silk and cotton furnishing fabric. "Chenille Brocade", imitation velvet, 1913. Jacquard-woven ' brocade' of silk and cotton. Medium blue. For upholstery, uses chenille yarn in the weft for a velvet effect in the ground; satin weave in the warp contrasts to create the textured design. Pattern; Floral palmette motif surrounded by ogee lattice of winding stems, lengthwise repeat 15 -1/2 in. (W. 48 in., L. 36 in.) NB: The image is of this design and technique, but not this colorway.
A sample length of Cheney Brothers "Mysore" printed dress silk, 1915. A lightweight plain weave tussah silk fabric with a crepey finish. Printed with allover Persian and Chinese inspired pattern with lions and floral pattern with urns and pomegranate branches in blues, purple, green, tan on a pink ground. (W. 30 in., L. 36 in.)