Massachusetts textile mills sample books

This collection contains four sample books of denims, tickings, and furniture checks manufactured by Massachusetts textile mills. The sample books were created by textile selling agents J.S. & E. Wright & Co. and Wright, Bliss, and Fabyan between 1866 and 1882.

Volume 1 features a three-quarter binding with brown cloth over boards and black leather on the cover corners and spine. While an inscription inside the front cover and several stickers throughout read “1866,” a sticker on the first textile sample reads “Trial Samples May 1878.” The book contains twenty samples of denims and tickings sewn into the spine. Several denim samples feature large printed labels reading “Otis Company/Ware/Blue Denims/Warranted Indigo.” as well as a labels addressed “To Buyers” from J.S. & E. Wright & Co. noting that the goods are entirely free from sizing and dressing. Other printed labels read “MEXICAN TWILLS” and “SILK FANCIES.” A piece of canvas with an indigo print of an elephant reads “OTIS COMPANY STANDARD DRILLING.” Two ticking samples include labels referring to “PALMER. YARDS.” or “PALMER EXTRA HEAVY COTTONADES.”

Volume 2 also features a three-quarter binding with brown cloth over boards and black leather on the cover corners and spine. An inscription inside the front cover reads “January 1874.” The book contains ten samples of denims and tickings sewn into the spine. Several of these samples also include large printed labels reading “Otis Company/Ware/Blue Denims/Warranted Indigo.” as well as a labels addressed “To Buyers” from J.S. & E. Wright & Co. Other printed labels include “SOFT FINISH,” “PALMER. YARDS.,” and “CORDIS MILLS IMPROVED TICKINGS.” The fifth sample features a label on yellow paper that reads “BOSTON STEAM MILLS MEDAL DENIM” with an engraving of the Old State House in Boston as well as a label reading “Hustelling aller Nationem./Carlisle Fabrikations Gesellschaft.”

Volume 3 features a three-quarter binding with brown cloth over boards and tan leather on the cover corners and spine. An inscription inside the front cover reads “January 1881.” The book contains twenty-nine samples of tickings, apron checks, and furniture checks. All but the first two textile samples are sewn into the spine of the book. Although the book is dated January 1881, the second textile sample has a sticker dated “Sept. 28/82.” The samples in this book feature large labels reading “CORDIS MILLS,” “SWIFT RIVER TICKINGS,” “PALMER. YARDS.,” “OTIS COMPANY/WARE, MASS./WARRANTED INDIGO,” “OTIS COMPANY APRON CHECKS,” and “FURNITURE CHECKS.” Several stickers seem to give the samples’ measurements from selvedge to selvedge.

Volume 4 also features a three-quarter binding with brown cloth over boards and tan leather on the cover corners and spine. An inscription inside the front cover reads “Jany 1881.” The book contains eight denim samples sewn into the spine of the book. Most of the samples in this book feature a label reading “OTIS COMPANY/WARE./BLUE DENIMS/WARRANTED INDIGO.” as well as labels from Wright, Bliss, and Fabyan noting that “OTIS DENIMS HAVE BEEN FOR FORTY YEARS STANDARD GOODS IN THE MARKETS OF THE WORLD.” The final sample features a label on yellow paper that reads “BOSTON STEAM MILLS MEDAL DENIM” with an engraving of the Old State House in Boston as well as a label reading “Hustelling aller Nationem./Carlisle Fabrikations Gesellschaft.”