Capezio Ballet shoes; William Skinner Nylon satin; 1946. Black nylon satin outer made as application of fabric T9665 with white twill canvas cotton inner lining. Leather soles produced by Capezio. Sold by Lord + Taylor. Size 5 1/2. Very stiff soles, non-flexible. Insole glued to shoe base. Leather sole glue to shoe. Nylon string drawn through bias tape around shoe opening to adjust sizing. Upper is four pieces, machine stitched with side seams on left and right sides of shoes. Sole is one piece. Fabric strip on center back exterior to conceal back seam. Interior of shoe is two pieces. Bias tape machine stitched. Nylon woven in Holyoke, MA. Dark marks and raised stains on left sole. Brown staining on internior left and right.
William Skinner emigrated from England to Massachusetts in 1843, finding work as silk dyer. He eventually opened his own silk manufacturing company, the Unquomonk Silk Co., making silk threads and yarns for weaving and sewing. In 1874, the mill was destroyed when the Mill River Dam gave way. Skinner moved his company a few miles away, to Holyoke, Massachusetts, and rebuilt the mill, expanding production to include woven fabrics (Skinner satins were nationally famous) and silk braids. He ran the company until his death in 1902, and the firm stayed in the family, and remained in operation in Holyoke, until 1961, when his heirs sold it to Indian head Mills, which immediately closed the Holyoke operation.
William Skinner and Sons wool back rayon satin Sunbak graphite blue fabric length; 1946. Strong, soft close fabric with rayon face & napped wool back. Is moth resistant. Used for reversible robes, and linings of women's and men's topcoats and jackets. Color graphite blue. Yarn sizes - warp 100/40 viscose rayon, weft 2 picks 150/40 viscose rayon, 2 picks 1/26 worsted. Fiber content by weight is 65% rayon 35% wool. Woven in Holyoke, MA.
William Skinner emigrated from England to Massachusetts in 1843, finding work as silk dyer. He eventually opened his own silk manufacturing company, the Unquomonk Silk Co., making silk threads and yarns for weaving and sewing. In 1874, the mill was destroyed when the Mill River Dam gave way. Skinner moved his company a few miles away, to Holyoke, Massachusetts, and rebuilt the mill, expanding production to include woven fabrics (Skinner satins were nationally famous) and silk braids. He ran the company until his death in 1902, and the firm stayed in the family, and remained in operation in Holyoke, until 1961, when his heirs sold it to Indian head Mills, which immediately closed the Holyoke operation.
T. H. McCool & Co "Airograph printed" Crepe de Chine silk fabric length; 1914. Airograph printed crepe de chine. Plain off white material bordered with an 8.5 inch wide band of a multi-colored floral design on a black ground. 14 inch horizontal repeat. Design of wheat and flowers. Airograph work by The Decorus Manufacturing Company. The black border is significantly more stiff than the ground cloth, which is a semi-transparent plain weave.
T. H. McCool and Company is the successor firm, as of 1914, to Alfred K. Wright and Company; both companies in the business of converting silks (i.e. buying gray goods and having them printed or finished) factored by Passavant & Co. McCool had been connected with the Wright company for many years prior to taking it over. 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.
William Skinner and Sons wool back rayon satin Sunbak khaki fabric length, 1946.
Strong, soft close fabric with rayon face & napped wool back. Is moth resistant. Used for reversible robes, and linings of women's and men's topcoats and jackets. 41" selvedge width and 36" length. U.S. Army khaki in shade P. Fabric content by weight is 65% rayon 35% wool.
A sample length of William Skinner & Sons nylon parachute cloth from World War II. A smooth, close, semi-transparent plain weave nylon fabric.; Camouflage design in two tones of green (medium and dark) on a lighter green ground with irregular shaped blotch patterns simulating foliage and according to the original paperwork from the manufacturer, designed as protective coloring for army parachutes.
William Skinner emigrated from England to Massachusetts in 1843, finding work as silk dyer. He eventually opened his own silk manufacturing company, the Unquomonk Silk Co., making silk threads and yarns for weaving and sewing. In 1874, the mill was destroyed when the Mill River Dam gave way. Skinner moved his company a few miles away, to Holyoke, Massachusetts, and rebuilt the mill, expanding production to include woven fabrics (Skinner satins were nationally famous) and silk braids. He ran the company until his death in 1902, and the firm stayed in the family, and remained in operation in Holyoke, until 1961, when his heirs sold it to Indian head Mills, which immediately closed the Holyoke operation.
A length of J.A. Migel, Inc. silk dress goods "Moon-Glo" Meteor. Lightweight, crepe weave fabric with lustrous satin face and soft finish. Julius A. Migel was a younger brother of Moses Charles Migel, founder of M.C. Migel & Co., Inc, silk manufacturer, renamed H.R. Mallinson & Co., Inc. in 1915. Mallinson, married to Linda Migel, had taken over as the president of M.C. Migel & Co. after his brother-in-law had retired. J.A. Migel was very briefly a partner with H.R. Mallinson, but left the firm in 1915 to form his own, eponymous, silk manufacturing concern. J.A. Migel used many of the marketing tools that his brother and H.R. Mallinson had succeeded with, but his company lasted only a few years.
A length of J.A. Migel, Inc. silk Dress Goods "Moon Glo Satin". Lightweight silk cloth of close texture with a rich glossy surface. Julius A. Migel was a younger brother of Moses Charles Migel, founder of M.C. Migel & Co., Inc, silk manufacturer, renamed H.R. Mallinson & Co., Inc. in 1915. Mallinson, married to Linda Migel, had taken over as the president of M.C. Migel & Co. after his brother-in-law had retired. J.A. Migel was very briefly a partner with H.R. Mallinson, but left the firm in 1915 to form his own, eponymous, silk manufacturing concern. J.A. Migel used many of the marketing tools that his brother and H.R. Mallinson had succeeded with, but his company lasted only a few years.
Stewart Silk Co white crepe de chine fabric length. White color with some light purple splotches. Two staples with paper scraps attached in corner. Pinked cut edges.
John Wood Stewart was born in 1856 in New York City. In 1897 he acquired an interest in the Phillipsburg Silk Mill Company, which he later took over, expanding into South Easton, Pennsylvania, 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. The company's mills were in Pennsylvania, the sales offices in New York City. John Stewart died in 1922. Commercial Factors Company purchased the Stewart Silk Mills in 1930.
"Japanese Habutai", a closely woven plain weave silk dress fabric, width: 36"; Manufactured by Fred Mendelson & Co.; 1915. Purchased for 75 cents per yard from Lansburgh & Bro., 420-430 7th St., Washington DC, Jan 29, 1915.
More research needs to be done to determine if the Mendelson Co. was actually manufacturing this silk in the US or had an import arrangement with a Japanese mill.
Baby's sacque style coat sample; William Skinner and Sons Sunbak fabric, 1951.
Cream colored and hand embroidered baby sacque coat made from Skinner trademark Sunbak double-faced fabric - viscose rayon twill face with wool serge with brushed (?) pile. Fabric made in 1951 in Holyoke, MA. Pink, white, blue, and green floral embroidery on the front only. at the nexk and center front corners at the hem. 2.25 inch by 2.25 inch embroidery at hem, 4.5 inch length of three floral pieces at neck. Blanket stitching in pink used to finish all edges. Face is turned down onto wrong side and whipstitched in place in white thread. Fabric is 66% rayon and 34% wool. The sacque is cut in one piece with serged side seams. There are no shoulder seams or armscye. Flared hem and straight center front line. Pink ribbon center front is hand stitched onto garment. Brown spot stains and light discoloration throughout. Was clearly cut using pen to mark the cutting and stitching lines as marks are still visible. Pen was also used to mark outline for embroidered areas. Long pencil marks also visible on front.
Engraved copper roller or cylinder for a textile printing machine; 1884. Made in England. Used by Pacific Mills in its Lawrence, Massachusetts textile manufacturing operations.. Dense repeating pattern of small floral wreath motifs engraved on the roller surface Pacific Mills was one of the US's most important textile manufacturers in the late 19th century.
Sample of nylon fiber, as used for blending with other fibers, natural and synthetic, for making yarn and then fabric, by Goodall-Sanford, Inc. Sanford Maine. {NB: this nylon probably was purchased by Goodall-Sanford from the DuPont Co., or one of its licensees. Goodall-Sanford did not manufacture nylon]
Part of a gift of 14 fabric samples and 11 fiber samples by Goodall-Sanford Inc., (mills at Sanford, Maine), to illustrate "Fiber Blending for Better Performance", in September 1951. The Goodall Worsted Company (maker of the mohair and cotton blend fabric "Palm Beach Cloth"), and the Sanford Mills (maker of mohair and wool velvets, plushes, and imitation fur fabrics) merged in 1944 to form Goodall-Sanford Inc. Palm Beach cloth was a menswear summer staple, and was one of the first fabrics considered "easy-care", although both its components were natural fibers. This donation illustrates some of the company's other efforts at blending fibers, in this case natural and synthetic blends. Goodall-Sanford's sales headquarters were at 545 Madison Avenue, NY 22, NY.
Mounted by donor for display, in a clear plastic domed container (now yellowing) with a black marker or paint lettering label.
A "Martine" silk by the Duplan Silk Company of Hazleton, PA. This design titled "Bishop", on quality "Fleur de Jeunesse" a fine soft taffeta. Printed design of scattered stylized scrolls and flowers in golden brown, bright pink, and light green on an off white 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 supposedly 8 designs in total that Duplan licensed from Poiret. NMAH Textiles department holds six samples, of four designs, two of the designs in two colorways on two different ground cloths.
Sample of Orlon acrylic fiber, as used for blending with other fibers, natural and synthetic, for making yarn and then fabric by Goodall-Sanford, Inc. (mills at Sanford, Maine). {NB: Orlon acrylic probably was purchased by Goodall-Sanford from the DuPont Co. Goodall-Sanford did not manufacture Orlon.]
Part of a gift of 14 fabric samples and 11 fiber samples by Goodall-Sanford Inc., Sanford, Maine, to illustrate "Fiber Blending for Better Performance", in September 1951. The Goodall Worsted Company (maker of the mohair and cotton blend fabric "Palm Beach Cloth"), and the Sanford Mills (maker of mohair and wool velvets, plushes, and imitation fur fabrics) merged in 1944 to form Goodall-Sanford Inc. Palm Beach cloth was a menswear summer staple, and was one of the first fabrics considered "easy-care", although both its components were natural fibers. This donation illustrates some of the company's other efforts at blending fibers, in this case natural and synthetic blends. Goodall-Sanford's sales headquarters were at 545 Madison Avenue, NY 22, NY.
Mounted by donor for display, in a clear plastic domed container (now yellowing) with a black marker or paint lettering label.
American Woolen Company Trousering fabric sample, 1912. All Worsted except decoration. Piece dyed - black with grey. 1 sample. Manufactured by the National and Providence Worsted Mills, Providence, RI. 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.
Doherty & Wadsworth Co Printed Mikado Silk Crepe fabric length; 1914. Silk Dress goods "Printed Mikado Crepe" with significant fading of color and print. Originally ground was pink, this has faded. "Pompadour design" of detached sprigs and sprays of flowers. Pinked edges.
Henry Doherty and Joseph Wadsworth came to Paterson, New Jersey from England and began working together in 1879. They rented small spaces in mills until 1882 when they were able to purchase a mill and began weaving grenadines. Paterson, NJ was the premier silk manufacturing location in the United States at the time. Doherty and Wadsworth was Paterson's largest silk manufacturers when they went to Allentown in 1910 to set up more mills. The president of the company, Henry Doherty, in 1913 automated his looms so that one worker could operate four looms at a time instead of just two. They also had silk mills in Wilkes-Barre. By 1938, the silk mills had closed down due to pressure from the Great Depression and changes in whoesaling textiles, and strikes by workers demanding higher wages.
A "Martine" silk by the Duplan Silk Company of Hazleton, PA. This design titled "Pekin", on charmeuse, a lightweight satin weave silk. Printed design ofwide and narrow irregular stripes in yellow, chartreuse green, blue, brown, and black. 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.
Sample of Dynel acrylic fiber, 1951, as used for blending with other fibers, natural and synthetic, for making yarn and then fabric, by Goodall-Sanford, Inc. (mills at Sanford, Maine). {NB: this Dynel probably was purchased by Goodall-Sanford from the Union Carbide Co., which developed and trademarked it, or one of its licensees. Goodall-Sanford did not manufacture Dynel.] Part of a gift of 14 fabric samples and 11 fiber samples by Goodall-Sanford Inc., Sanford, Maine, to illustrate "Fiber Blending for Better Performance", in September 1951. The Goodall Worsted Company (maker of the mohair and cotton blend fabric "Palm Beach Cloth"), and the Sanford Mills (maker of mohair and wool velvets, plushes, and imitation fur fabrics) merged in 1944 to form Goodall-Sanford Inc. Palm Beach cloth was a menswear summer staple, and was one of the first fabrics considered "easy-care", although both its componenets were natural fibers. This donation illustrates some of the company's other efforts at blending fibers, in this case natural and synthetic blends. Goodall-Sanford's sales headquarters were at 545 Madison Avenue, NY 22, NY.
Mounted by donor for display, in a clear plastic domed container (now yellowing) with a black marker or paint lettering label.
A H Straus 'Luxor Taffeta" dress silk plum ground fabric length; 1917. Luxor taffeta. A lustrous reversible fabric with a discharge printed design copied from a woven fabric of ancient Peru. Original cataloging also says "Character of design resembling Etruscan ornaments" meaning a running fret design, but this design uses the two color running fretwork in vertical bands resembling Ancient Peruvian tunics. Colors are yellow and black on a plum ground. Yellow and black stripes each 0.875 inches wide create a pattern of alternating single and triple stripes parallel to the selvedge edge. Some uneven blotches of faded dye throughout.
A. H. Straus and Co. was active in the 1910s and 1920s. The company was based in New York City and was a premier importer and manufacturer of printed silks. Many fabric lengths in this collection have prints copied from ancient textiles.