Stewart Silk Co "Chinese crepe" fabric length; 1914. Navy blue with white long marks possibly from sun damage or folding. Plain weave, crepe finish.
John Wood Stewart was born in 1856 in New York City. In 1897 he became a stockholder and New York representative with the Phillipsburg Silk Mill Company. He then acquired the stock, and opened a larger facility in South Easton with a new mill and the addition of the Eastern Throwing Company, a throwing mill. The Perfect Dyeing and Finishing Company was also shortly added, and these three eventually incorporated to create the Stewart Silk Company. John Stewart died in 1922. Commercial Factors Company purchased the Stewart Silk Mills property in 1930.
A "Martine" silk by the Duplan Silk Company of Hazleton, PA. This design titled "Bishop", on quality "Ruisselet" a warp-faced weave with much thicker weft yarns than warp yarns, having a crinkled texture. Printed design of scattered stylized scrolls and flowers on a dark blue ground. This example was cylinder printed. Duplan's publicity touts this series of silk dress fabrics as"Woven, printed, and finished in the US, sold and delivered in Paris and London. Designs by the Martine School of Decorative Art, Paris, France. Directed, owned, and personally supervised by Mr. Paul Poiret, who is universally acknowledged as the greatest creator of women's fashions of the present century." In the press these were called "Futurist Flowers", and there were supposedly 8 designs in total that Duplan licensed from Poiret. The NMAH Textiles collection holds six samples, four designs, two designs in two colorways on two different ground cloths.
Length of "Pussy Willow" silk - (Mallinson trade name) A fine soft, radium-like plain weave fabric (Mfr #1900). Printed with allover pattern (mfr #2768), titled "Life of George Washington," part of the Mallinson 1929 Early American series. Design depicts historical events in Washington's life: such as Washington taking command of his army; at Valley Forge; at Mount Vernon; arriving in New York for his inauguration; the Inauguration at Wall Street; and with his mother--done in 7 colors on a black ground. Selvage width; selvage inscription.
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.
Sample length of converted silk Cartridge cloth, called "Armistice Silk." A sample piece of the 18 million yards of surplus World War I cartridge or powder bag cloth. Quality D. Has been boiled off (the residual sericin from the raw silk removed by washing) and otherwise finished for the cutting-up or garment trade. Sold by the Salvage board for 84 cents per yard. Color: Natural. Yarns: noils warp and weft. Flecked with brown slubs.
A length of Mallinson's trade name printed "Indestructible" Crepe. A very thin, semi-sheer silk crepe similar to "Georgette" for dresses; with design "Tiger Rose" printed in 5 colors on light green ground. The wax-resist dyeing technique known as batik (as the technique is known in Indonesia) was extremely popular in the late 1910s and early 1920s. Several textile manufacturers in the United Staes and Europe imitated with machine printing technology the characteristic 'crackle' effect of hand made wax-resist textiles. This is one of those designs, which were very popular for a few years on either side of 1920. "Tiger Rose" was named after a Broadway play starring Lenore Ulric that opened in 1917 and became a silent film in 1923.
A sample length of Cheney Brothers printed faille tie silk, 1925. A lightweight warp-faced plain weave ribbed silk, in dark blue, with a printed design of diagonal bands made up of multicolor dots in a speckled effect: bands alternate predominatly white with predominantly red. The other print colors are light blue, yellow, green, and gray. Lighter weight faille than TE*T05145 from the same manufacturer. (W. 24 in., L. 36 in.) Pattern #257. Com.#5113.
This length of converted silk cartridge cloth, called "Armistice Silk"; is a sample of the 18 million yards of surplus American-made cartridge bag silk cloth owned by the US War Dept. at the end of World War I. Originally used to make the bags that held the powder charge for heavy artillery, it was finished and dyed for the "cutting-up" (ready-to-wear clothing) trade after the war, and sold by the Salvage Board for 76 cents per yard. This sample was dyed "Freedom blue."
Skein of dyed Tussah or wild silk. Light blue. Mfrs' tag reads: "Tussah or Wild silk." Wild silk is from cocoons that the silk moth has emerged from - the silk filament is no longer unbroken; it is therefore processed differently than cultivated, unbroken silk filament. One of 66 examples of silk yarns of various types, dyed in the skein.. Original sample # 43. 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.,
25 skeins of skein dyed silk; A white to deep brown ombre, in 25 shades. National Silk Dyeing Co., 1913
One of 66 examples of silk yarns of various types, dyed in the skein.. Original sample # 2. 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.
Length of a Cheney Brothers multicolored silk satin damask, 1913. All silk turned satin weave damask. Foliate wreath and artichoke ogival design in gold on blue, green, gold striped ground. Yarns: warp – green, blue, tan, weft – gold color. Pattern; Warp striped ground of satin weave; reverse of the satin weave is the leaf pattern ogee in slide layout; the lengthwise pattern repeat is 22 in. (W. 51 in., L. 36 in.) Renaissance into 17th century style.
In late 1926 American silk manufacturer H.R. Mallinson & Co. introduced a bold new line of printed silks, twelve landscape designs, each available in from eight to twelve colorways (color combinations) on three different ground fabrics. The designs celebrated America's National Parks - then only a decade old. The designs represented all the usual styles necesssary for making clothing: allover prints, horizontal stripes, checks, a border design. This long rectangular scarf is made from the overall design depicting Niagara Falls, on Mallinson's trademark Pussy Willow silk. The scarf is finished with a machine-stitched picot edging along the sides, and finished at the ends with an 8 1/2 inch wide border of plain orange Pussy Willow silk.
Cheney Brothers printed silk pongee "Florentine", 1915. A lightweight, spun silk filled pongee, printed with a dense, allover patchwork-look, garden-inspired pattern of various geometric and floral filled irregular reserves - and the letter W - in blue, white, red, green and brown outlined in black. (W. 32 in., L. 36 in.) Made as a decorative or furnishing fabric. "The company's description of this textiles as "Florentine" may have referred to the fabric quality and not the pattern name.
Sample of Oriental Silk Printing Co.'s "Russian" printed dress silk, 1916. A lightweight plain weave silk similar to HR MAllinson's trademark Pussy Willow taffeta. An allover cylinder printed design titled "Russian" printed with small x's and squares on a white ground to imitate Cross Stitch embroidery. This sample with a dense design of 4-pointed geometric figures and filler motifs, perhaps meant to be flower heads, and connecting lines, in green, red, yellow, blue, and black on white. Design and Colorway as T03010.000; Ground cloth as T03009.000
The Oriental Silk Printing Company also produced a trade magazine from 1922 to 1927 called The Master Silk Printer. It was self-promotional but also served as a vehicle within the fashion industry for providing information related to silk apparel for women. The Paterson-Haledon area of New Jersey was the main center of the silk textile manufacturing industry in the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and this was where the company was situated. Most of these factories had showrooms in New York City in what is still known as ‘The Garment District,’ and many advertised through this trade publication. Companies selling other fashion industry goods such as dyes, machinery, chemicals, ribbon, and related products also advertised here. Oriental Silk Printing Company was in business from the early 1900s to the mid 1930s, at which point their mills moved from New Jersey to the South.
One of a set of three engraved pantograph plates (a,b,c), Cheney Brothers, 1913. Engraved with the design for the printed satin, T-1041 through T-1043. These plates were used to transfer the design to the copper printing rollers. 3 plates. Com. 4454; Style 3670/4; No. 536. These plates match the original design drawings, T1039.
Oriental Silk Printing Co.'s "Rose Celestielle" printed charmeuse dress silk, 1916. Large single rose blossom with leaves, tossed open/detached layout. First of two colorways, this with predominantly pink roses. Ground is tan silk charmeuse (lightweight satin weave). Cylinder printed by discharge process. Some imperfections in printing where fold lines are obvious. Colors: Pink, blue, green, yellow, black on tan. Swatch taken out with pinking scissors in one corner. A round paper tag with a colored floral design reads "Rose Celestielle" and is stapled to a corner of the fabric.
The Oriental Silk Printing Company also produced a trade magazine from 1922 to 1927 called The Master Silk Printer. It was self-promotional but also served as a vehicle within the fashion industry for providing information related to silk apparel for women. The Paterson-Haledon area of New Jersey was the main center of the silk textile manufacturing industry in the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and this was where the company was situated. Most of these factories had showrooms in New York City in what is still known as ‘The Garment District,’ and many advertised through this trade publication. Companies selling other fashion industry goods such as dyes, machinery, chemicals, ribbon, and related products also advertised here. Oriental Silk Printing Company was in business from the early 1900s to the mid 1930s, at which point their mills moved from New Jersey to the South.
T. H. McCool & Co. crepe de chine silk fabric length; 1914. "Airograph printed" crepe de chine. An all over floral design in six colors on a white ground. Airograph (the name used for air-brushing, or spray printing) work by The Decorus Manufacturing Company. Floral print has a 10.5 inch repeat and the individual floral motifs are 3.5 inches wide. Cream color ground with pink and blue flowers with green leaves and black outline.
T. H. McCool and Company is the successor firm, as of 1914, to Alfred K. Wright and Company; both companies factored by Passavant & Co. McCool had been connected with the Wright company for many years. This donation encompassed examples of "airograph work" on various silks, said to be akin to products coming from Lyons, France. The airograph, or spray-print, or airbrushing, process was done by Decorous Manufacturing & Co of New York City. Acording to the Annual report on this donation, the machine used to create these designs was the first machine of its kind to be imported to the United States, and it was a gift.
Skein of black silk tram. A type of thrown silk usually used for weft yarns. Mfrs' tag reads: "Tram: Used for filling in ribbons and broad silks." [Filling is a synonym for weft.] One of 66 examples of silk yarns of various types, dyed in the skein.. Original sample # 26. 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.,
A length of printed pure dye silk crepe. Soft lustrous plain weave fabric. Pattern "Candlelight". One of the H.R. Mallinson & Co. George Washington Bicentennial print series. Scattered motifs of candlestick with lighted taper, liberty bell, star, flower blossoms, and bellows against of ground with an overall pattern of tiny dots
Skein of beige silk tram. A type of thrown silk usually used for weft yarns. One of 66 examples of silk yarns of various types, dyed in the skein.. Original sample # 19. 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.,
Stern and Pohly warp-printed "Bulgarian Plisse Epingle" Silk fabric length; 1914. Trimming silk. Warp is all silk, printed before weaving; filling (weft) is irregular flake cotton and silk. Woven on Knowles box loom. Suitable for ladies vests and coat trimmings. Ribbed. Persian inspired print. Warp-faced rib weave with a crepe like finish.
Harry Stern and Joseph Pohly began business in the Cooke Mill in Paterson, NJ in 1897. They erected the Highland Mill, also in Paterson, in 1902, manufacturing novelty silks. In 1914, the company moved their sales offices to Fourth Street in the Garment District, in response to the change in the customer base from the retail market to the wholesale market, with the growth of ready-to-wear clothing for women. The company was sold in 1916 to the Durable Silk Corporation.