A length of printed crepe plain weave fabric. Pattern "Colonial Stars", one of the H.R. Mallinson & Co.George Washington Bicentennial Prints. The allover, tossed, non-directional design uses blue stars, singly and in groups of 2 and 3 against a ground of evenly spaced tiny blue dots on an off-white ground. The discoloration and oily residue apparent on this fabric sample suggests that either a) it was not either pure dye or pure silk, as are most of the other Mallinson fabrics; or b) it was stored in contact with another object from which it picked up the residue which discolored it. More research needs to be done to determine the origin of the damage.
..A length of Mallinson trade name "Indestructible Voile" sheer silk fabric printed with the "Palm Beach" design from the firm's 1928 "Playgrounds of the World" series. "Indestructible Voile" was one of the Mallinson firm's perennial best-selling silk qualities, and was a long-serving trade name. The print is an allover design with a block layout; scenes of bathing, dining, horseback riding, and architectural features of the "Palm Beach" scene, set off by palm trees. Colorway is in in shades of red, purple, gray and yellow on ground of pink (tea rose). The typical Mallinson selvage inscription, Mallinson's Silks DeLuxe Playgrounds of the World Palm Beach. Company numbers: 1800/2664. Colorway # 13. The company gave a photograph of the area represented in the design as part of this accession.
A length of printed pure dye silk crepe. Soft lustrous plain weave fabric pattern "Virginia Floral", one of the H.R. Mallinson & Co. George Washington Bicentennial prints. Colonial gardens inspired the design of flower garlands, dotted with candlesticks and lanterns.
A length of printed crepe. Pattern "Nellie Custis" one of the H.R. Mallinson & Co. George Washington Bicentennial prints.Pattern inspired by an old silk brocade is made up of many different tiny flower motifs with plain 2 inch border along one selvage, outlined with a flower garland in a running vine effect. The discoloration and oily residue apparent in this textile sample suggests that either a) it was not either pure dye or pure silk, as most of the other Mallinson samples are, or b) it was stored for some time in contact with another object that damaged it. Additional research should be done to determine the source and cause of the discoloration and residue.
A length of Mallinson trade name "Vagabond crepe" novelty silk printed with the "Palm Beach" design from the firm's 1928 "Playgrounds of the World" series. This crepe variation is woven with doupioni weft or filling (rough, irregular silk reeled from double cocoons) and silk warp. The print is an allover design with a block layout; scenes of bathing, dining, horseback riding, and architectural features of the "Palm Beach" scene, set off by palm trees. Colorway is in blue, orchid, tan, brown, gold and black on a white ground.
The typical Mallinson selvage inscription, Mallinson's Silks DeLuxe Playgrounds of the World Palm Beach. Company numbers: 523/2664. Colorway # 16.
Skein of "Ruby" red 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 # 21. 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 jacquard-figured silk 'Frisons', meaning a textured surface from a slubbed weft yarn, 1913. Jacquard-woven repeating design of an ogee grid with stylized tulips in the reserves. Slubbed plain weave "silk frisons" ground with coarse weft float patterning. Inspired by an early 17th c. ogee pattern with tulips. Piece dyed dusty rose (dull medium pink). (W. 32 in., L. 36 in.)
A sample length of Cheney Brothers "Printed Frisons" dress silk, 1913. Pinkish-tan ground of slubbed (spun silk yarns) plain weave silk, printed with a closely spaced modernist design of irregular multi-colored spots. Fauve-inspired print colors are dark green, orange, yellow, medium green, medium blue, light blue, dark red, Some colors may be due to overprinting one shade with another. File gives fabric width as 30", with a donation of a full yard length. Cheney's numbers are: Com: 3755; No: 77357, Color: 3724/1 Part of a large donation of fibers, yarns, fabrics, original designs, and printing tools given by Cheney Brothers, one of the earliest and largest of America's silk manufacturers, in 1913.
Length of Cheney Brothers jacquard-woven, figured furnishing silk, 1913. The pattern is a simplified version of an 18th c. floral ogee medallion design in a compound weave, with matte pale green flowers on a finely striped (faux strie), satin weave green ground. (W. 50 in., L. 36 in.) Mfrs. #s: Com. 4564; No 77953; Color 3486/1.
Length of Cheney Brothers silk fabric. Jacquard-woven, continuous supplementary weft patterned all-silk fabric composed of spun silk warp with 12 shuttles of different colors of silk producing the figures. Patterned with a 17th century (Baroque) Flemish-style medallion and meander design of urns of flowers and wreaths of flowers, wheat, and grapes in blue, green, purple, and pink on narrow striped yellow ground. Style 4584/4. Wholesaled for $18.75 per yd. (W. 50 in., L. 3 1/3 yds.)
These furnishing silks were, along with the patterned velvets, represent the most expensive and exclusive textiles that Cheney Brothers produced.
Skein of "Emerald" green organzine. A type of thrown silk; Usually used for warp yarns in fine silk fabrics. Manufacturer tag reads: "Organzine. Used for warp in ribbons and broad silks".
One of 66 examples of silk yarns of various types, dyed in the skein.. Original sample # 13. 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.
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.,
37 skeins of skein dyed silk; A white to deep red ombre, in 37 shades. National Silk Dyeing Co., 1913
One of 66 examples of silk yarns of various types, dyed in the skein.. Original sample # 5. 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 Cheney Brothers printed "Princess Satin" dress silk, 1915. Lightweight, drapey satin-weave silk fabric, printed with Japanese-inspired modernist design featuring striped white and pink, orange, green, gray flower heads and sprays and black and white arcs on a purple ground. (W. 30 in., L. 36 in.) The diagonally striped flower heads are suggestive of Japanese textile printing techniques.
Length of Cheney Brothers lightweight figured silk fabric, 1913. Broken twill weave ground with weft-float patterning of Chinese dragon roundels.Company term was "Broche", but this is not a brocade in the strict sense, just a weft float figure, no supplementary wefts. All silk. Piece dyed medium gray-blue. Circular medallions w/ five-toed dragons.Company literature says it was “Used for curtains. Jacquard loom warp of reeled Japan two-thread organzine. Filling Canton rereeled. Pure dye.” [Source: “The Upholsterer” 15 Feb. 1918 pg. 62, “The Upholsterer” 15 Aug 1924 pg. 105.] (W. 30 in., L. 36 in.)
One skein of thrown silk: Three thread Japan tram in the raw. Tram yarn was used for weft or filling in woven goods and for knitting. Part of a donation of 63 samples representing the processes of silk skein-dyeing, and silk piece-dyeing and printing, given by the National Silk Dyeing Co of Paterson, New Jersey, in 1915. National Silk Dyeing Co., headquartered at 140 Market St., Paterson, NJ was formed from five silk dyeing firms in Peterson, NJ (Auger & Simon Silk Dyeing Company; Emil Geering Silk Dyeing Co., Knipscher & Maas Silk Dyeing Company, Kearns Brothers, and Gaede Silk Dyeing Co.) and a fifth company from Allentown, Pa. (Lotte Brothers under the leadership of Charles I. Auger. National Silk Dyeing immediately became one of the large silk dyeing conglomerates in the nation. It operated into the Great Depression but was eventually broken up and sold off.
Skein of dyed silk schappe yarn for weaving, in brown. Mfrs' tag reads "Schappe. Used in manufacturing velvets." The term "Schappe" refers to a method of processing waste silk fibers (leftovers from other processes). Schappe was used in the pile yarn for manufacturing of velvets, as it was both less expensive and easily finished as a soft surface. One of 66 examples of silk yarns of various types, dyed in the skein.. Original sample # 65. 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.
Sample cut of Cheney Brothers "Broche Silk" fabric. Figured silk (and possibly artificial silk) lightweight "tissue" style fabric, jacquard woven, supplementary weft patterned "broche". Repeating half drop design of palmettes within imbricated scallops bordered by laurel . Two weft yarns: a very shiny golden yellow silk or artificial silk, and green. Dull orange (salmon) warp yarns, of silk. Pattern of weft floats in gold and green on a changeable ground of salmon shot with gold. 3"x6" and 6"x8" pieces cut from corner of the sample. (W. 49 in., L. 18 in.)
Length of sheer silk voile--known as "Indestructible Chiffon Voile" -- Mallinson trade name for a sheer, plain weave, all silk fabric (mfr #1800). Printed with all over pattern (mfr #2764) one of the Mallinson Early American series--titled Early American Transportation. The design illustrates such incidents as DeWitt Clinton crossing Erie Canal with canal boat in foreground, train pulling into old Schenectady, Palisades with the Hudson and the Clermont in foreground, as well as other forms of transportation such as horseback, stagecoaches, and early trains. Seven colors (reds, yellows, black) on a white ground. Selvage width, selvage inscription. Judging from drawings by free-lance textile designer Walter Mitschke in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts - Boston, Mitschke designed this print and several others in the Early American series.
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.
Skein of dyed silk schappe yarn for weaving, in purple. Mfrs' tag reads "Schappe. Used in manufacturing velvets." The term "Schappe" refers to a method of processing waste silk fibers (leftovers from other processes). Schappe was used in the pile yarn for manufacturing of velvets, as it was both less expensive and easily finished as a soft surface. One of 66 examples of silk yarns of various types, dyed in the skein.. Original sample # 63 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.