Book, Swatch

Object Name:

Book, Swatch

Object ID:

2016.012

Place of Origin:

Manchester, NH

Date:

1882

Description:

Fabric sample book, Manchester Mills, Manchester, NH, 1882. Brown cloth binding. Spine imprinted in gold: "COTTONS. / M. M. / PRINT'G DEP'T. / OFFICE BOOK. / MAR. TO AUG. 1882." Contains printed cotton swatches adhered to white paper, four swatches per page, each 3.2" x 7.2". Upper case letter inscribed in ink next to each swatch. Printed paper label inside front cover: "No. 593 / Duplicates of this book can be / obtained by sending the number to / TEMPLE & FARRINGTON, / MANUFACTURERS, / MANCHESTER, N. H."

Material:

Textile
Cotton
Paper

Dimensions:

H-16.25 W-11 D-4.5 inches

Provenance:

The Manchester Mills were established in 1839 to take advantage of a then profitable market in mousseline de laines, printed woolen fabrics. Six years later, construction began on a mill for the complete manufacture and printing of de laines. Prior to 1845, the Hooksett Mills produced the cloth but shipped it out of the state to be printed. In 1847 the mills were sold and renamed Merrimack Mills. Another name change occurred in 1849 when the company became the Manchester Print Works. The end of the Civil War witnessed a decline in de laines sales and a large surplus of the material caused the once profitable Print Works to go bankrupt. The entire mill complex was sold in 1874 and the name changed to the Manchester Mills. The new company met with mixed success. Its product line now included cassimeres, flannels, cashmeres, and printed cottons. In 1883 the company employed 2,000 workers operating 2,700 looms, 100,000 spindles, and 16 printing machines. In 1905 the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company purchased the Manchester Mills. The company's mill buildings and equipment were then incorporated into the Amoskeag's printing and finishing departments.

Credit Line:

New Hampshire Historical Society Purchase

Subjects:

Textile industry, Textile printing, Textiles