American Woolen Company trouser fabric samples, 1912. Piece-dyed 1/2 mercerized worsted trouserings. #s 1 & 2 are black, grey, and white; #s 3 & 4 are black. Bound with black tape by machine. 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.
Two fabric samples of woven worsted wool; Unfinished, skein dyed mixture; bound with black tape by machine. Sample 1 is in Navy; Sample 2 is in dark gray with red pinstripes.
From the American Woolen Company; Manufactured by the National and Providence Woolen 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.
The Shelton Looms "Ermine Plush" imitation fur fabric; 1914. Mohair pile, cotton backing. White cut pile plush printed in a black spot pattern in imitation of ermine fur. 1 sample. Width: 50" One of a group of pile fabrics given in 1914 (accessioned in 1915) by Sidney Blumenthal and Co., Inc, owner and operator of The Shelton Looms, one of the best known and most important American pile fabric producers., whose mills were in Shelton, Connecticut. Original fabric woven 50" wide.
Length of Massachusetts Mohair Plush Company, pile woven upholstery plush, "Friezette", 1928. Looped pile fabric woven in vertical stripee of unequal width. Two pieces, A, B - both pieces are the same colorway. Fabric chemically treated against moths. Massachusetts Mohair Plush Company figured pile upholstery fabric, "Friezette," 1928. Solid uncut (looped) mohair pile in vertical stripes in shades of brown with rust and black, on a cotton back.with a beige warp and a brown weft. Manufacturer title Upholstery Plush XXXX Friezette. Massachusetts Mohair Plush Co. sold in large part to railroads and furniture companies. Mohair plush was long-wearing and not easily crushed. One swatch, 6" x 8", from corner removed and attached to study card..
Sample of 6 dram mohair roving, Massachusetts Mohair Plush Company, 1914. One bobbin. A step in the manufacture of mohair yarn from combed fiber. Given by Massachusetts Mohair Plush Company, headquartered in Boston with a mill in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1914, along with samples of mohair fiber in various stages of processing, and samples of the company's finished textiles.
Bolt end of unbleached cotton twill weave, Selvage width. Marked with blue stamp of head and torso of an American indian man and words "40 yds" and "Indian head Drills." Made by Indian Head Mills. Cordova, Alabama.
Paper label: US Consulate, Chefoo, China. Dated Oct 24, 1898. "U. S. Consulate, Chefoo China (/) With Annual Report of Trade, Oct 24, 1898 (/) 15 pieces " 1 Bale (/) 1 piece yard.". Sent with Report to the US Board of Trade from the Consulate. Chinese characters on label as well.
Example of marketing of American made cotton textiles to Far East in the late 19th century. For many cotton textile mills opened in the southern United States in the late 19th century, the focus was on production for foreign markets, not domestic.
Part of a large collection of American and foreign made textile samples acquired between about 1898 and 1918 by US Consuls overseas to report on the state of markets and on business opportunites. Transferred from the Dept. of Commerce in the 1920s.
Sample length of Goodall-Sanford Inc., women's Palm Beach suiting, 1951. Summer weight suiting in mohair and rayon, in a light aqua color, styled for women.
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.
Sample of 20 dram Mohair roving, Massachusetts Mohair Plush Company, 1914. One bobbin. A step in the manufacture of mohair yarn from combed fiber. Given by Massachusetts Mohair Plush Company, headquartered in Boston with a mill in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1914, along with samples of mohair fiber in various stages of processing, and samples of the company's finished textiles.
Photograph, black and white: Wool sorting; American Woolen Co., The National & Providence Woolen Mills, Providence, RI. 1912.
One of a series of 71 photographs documenting the workings of the American Woolen Company's National & Providence Worsted Mills, part of a large donation of fibers, yarns, and fabrics by American Woolen Mills in 1912.
Length of Botany Worsted Mills "Repingle" dress fabric, 1924. A fine, lightweight wool rep (warp-faced rib weave) similar to poplin, but much finer. Color: #616, "Men's BLue (midnight blue) 54" wide. One of 10 specimens of worsted dress goods donated in October 1924 by Botany Worsted Mills of Passaic, New Jersey.
th of Botany Worsted Mills dress fabric, "Drurylane", 1924. Very lightweight wool fabric with an almost indistinguishable weft rib. Color #715, Mandarine. 54" wide. One of ten samples of worsted dress goods donated by Botany Worsted Mills of Passaic, New Jersey in October 1924.
Six samples of All-worsted Cheviot cloth from American Woolen Mills, National and Providence Worsted Mills; bound with black tape by machine.
Color: 1. Black with white & dk red pinstripes, 2. Navy with white pinstripes, 3. Brown with white pinstripes, 4. Navy with dark red pinstripes, 5. Navy with white pinstripes, 6. Navy with dark red pinstripes. Manufactured by the National and Providence Woolen 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.
Sample of Collins & Aikman Corporation figured rayon velour, 1929. Cut pile velvet with tiny repeating voided rectangular figure, alternating pattern of pile and voided rectangles. Panne (flattened) finish.Brown ground (cotton) and pile (rayon) warps, pink ground weft (cotton). 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.
Length of solid cut pile imitation fur fabric in light and dark browns, subtle gradations in a warp stripe effect; surface crushed (or panned) giving random fur appearance. Artificial silk pile, cotton ground. Back of small sample in file is stamped The Shelton Looms, S.B. & Co., Inc. with the number 379078 (?) 4/8.. One of a group of pile fabrics given in 1921 by Sidney Blumenthal and Co., Inc, owner and operator of The Shelton Looms, one of the best known and most important American pile fabric producers., whose mills were in Shelton, Connecticut. Original fabric width 50 1/2", sample length sent was not noted.
Photograph, black & white: Woolen Spinning. American Woolen Co., The National & Providence Worsted Mills, Providence, RI. 1912.
One of a series of 71 photographs documenting the workings of the American Woolen Company's National & Providence Worsted Mills, part of a large donation of fibers, yarns, and fabrics by American Woolen Mills in 1912.
A fabric length with solid cut mohair pile of two lengths; the short pile which forms the background has more plain weft picks in between warp pile rows, this allows the contrasting color of the ground to show through, the longer pile, more densely woven, forms a large conventionalized ogival pattern with central pomegranate/floral medallion Repeat is 27" long; 2 repeats per width of fabric; 1/2 step repeat This structure is identical with a chiffon velour. Color: "mauve" (purplish-brown pile, yellow ground) #3504. Mfr #19318E. Sample length 37", width 52" One of a number of samples of pile fabrics given by Sidney Blumenthal & Co., Inc. owner and operator of The Shelton Looms, Shelton, CT, in 1921. Stencilled Mfrs. mark.
Photograph, black & white: Worsted Carding - Carding Machine (2nd photo). American Woolen Co., The National & Providence Worsted Mills, Providence, RI. 1912.
One of a series of 71 photographs documenting the workings of the American Woolen Company's National & Providence Worsted Mills, part of a large donation of fibers, yarns, and fabrics by American Woolen Mills in 1912.
Sample length of Massachusetts Mohair Plush Company plain cut pile "Railroad Plush" upholstery fabric, in dark red. 1914 Used for covering seats in railroad cars. 25 1/2" wide. The backing is cotton, ground warp is blue and the ground warp is red. The pile is mohair, in red. The overall color effect is deep red. Given by Massachusetts Mohair Plush Company, headquartered in Boston with a mill in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1914, along with samples of mohair fiber in various stages of processing, and samples of the company's finished textiles.
