Silk ribbon in a warp-faced plain weave rib construction with 9 thicker cords running lengthwise (in the warp) for strength and textural interest. There is a cord at either side and a band of 7 in the ribbon center. The ribbon is a "Bayadere" or horizontal striped design, with a wide stripe of light blue between narrower stripes of black, white, yellow, and dark blue. One of a group of ribbons given by Paterson, NJ, ribbon manufacturer Pelgram & Meyer in 1914.
Paterson, New Jersey was known as America's "Silk City" from the large number of silk textile manufacturing concerns centered in that area. From February through July, 1913, workers in many of Paterson's silk mills went on strike for better working conditions. The strike ended at the end of July - and the ribbon weavers were one of the few groups of workers who were able to achieve some of the changes they desired. Several Paterson ribbon manufacturers donated samples to the museum in late 1913 and early 1914. It is likely that they were made by the workers returned from the 1913 strike.
