Rope (dyed) of Trachycarpus excelsus fiber, Japan, ca. 1885. One of a group of fiber samples given by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England, in 1885, to the US National Museum's economic botany collection.
Sample of fabric made of fiber, Pueraria Thunbergiana Benth, Japan, 1885. One of a group of fiber samples given by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England, in 1885, to the US National Museum's economic botany collection.
Hank or skein of raw silk filament, white, glossy, as reeled in Japan and imported into the US. "No. 1 Japan" One of 15 samples donated in 1884 by C. Adolphe Low & Co., NYC, of raw silk as imported by the firm. Catalog #s H6180-6194
Boxed specimen of raw cotton fiber, ginned. Information from donor: "Raw Cotton - Ginned. - Shinmachi Village, Osaka-Fu, Japan, 1882. Annual crop 419 kin. (555 lbs.) 56,173. Grown by Yamada Heishiro. Gift of The Government of Japan." on object label. [Original spelling of prefecture name was Asaka-Hu]
Specimen of raw cotton fiber, ginned, in a square, glass-topped box. "Raw Cotton - Ginned. - Higashi-ajiro Village, Osaka-Fu, Japan, 1882. Annual Crop, 3,905 kin. (5,174 lbs.) 56,172. Grown by Shiokawa Daigoro. Gift of The Government of Japan." on object label. From the Japanese Legation in Washington, DC.
Specimen of raw cotton, ginned; packed in a square, glass-lidded box. Information from donor: "Raw Cotton - Ginned. - Sakuratsuka Village, Osaka-Fu, Japan, 1882. Annual crop, 334 kin. (443 lbs.) 56,174. Grown by Naka Saburobege. Gift of The Government of Japan." on object label.
As part of her signature look, Phyllis Diller generally wore a fright wig: a wig with hair that stands out from the head. Diller began bleaching her hair early in her career in an attempt to look less like the average girl next door. After years of bleaching her hair it began to thin. A beauty parlor gave her a special rubber massage brush to stimulate hair regrowth, and while it did not lead to more hair growth it did make her hair stand on end, which quickly became her signature style. This style progressed and became more outlandish until she began wearing fright wigs like this one.
Tungsten decorative lamp (Japan), about 1930. Nickel or brass(?) miniature-screw base with glass insulator. C-2 tungsten filament with crimp connectors, Dumet leads. Tipless FE-shape envelope with metal (tin?) cover in the shape of a 5-point star (note concave depression on top of envelope). Cover is in 2 pieces (clipped together) and has a blue plastic cone on each of the 5 points. A red fiber insulator is clipped to the bottom half of the cover and prevents the cover from contacting the base-shell. The neutral lead passes thru the insulator and is then soldered onto the shell.
Tungsten decorative lamp (Japan), about 1930. Nickel or brass(?) miniature-screw base with glass insulator. C-2 tungsten filament with crimp connectors, Dumet leads. Tipless FE-shape envelope with metal (tin?) cover in the shape of a 5-point star (note concave depression on top of envelope). Cover is in 2 pieces (clipped together) and has a yellow plastic cone on each of the 5 points. A red fiber insulator is clipped to the bottom half of the cover and prevents the cover from contacting the base-shell. The neutral lead passes thru the insulator and is then soldered onto the shell.
Suiting fabric sample from Japan with different patterns woven into it: Black & white plaids; 2 square pieces cut out - near one end and in middle. Mixed fiber?
Probably manufactured in Japan for domestic use, or foreign sale? It is possible that this group of sample strips showing different patterns are the equivalent of western 'sample blankets" (showing pattern choices for customers), for men's kimono or household fabric 'sample blankets.'
Consular Collection: Part of collection of samples acquired by US Consuls overseas between about 1898 and 1918, in the interests of promoting US trade and business opportunities; which was transferred by the Dept. of Commerce in the 1920s-30s.
