The Grimshaw Brothers sample books document the output of the Grimshaw Brothers silk mill from 1895 to 1904. This Reading, Pennsylvania mill was built in 1887 and rebuilt in 1889 following a tornado which destroyed much of the original building. The mill would have employed between 300-400 girls and women to spin and weave silk cloth from imported fiber. The fabric samples contained in these books, although small, preserve the rich colors and textures of this century-old fabric.
This gallery includes a sampler of these important documents of the United States silk weaving industry.
Browse the Grimshaw Brothers Silk Samples Collections
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Fabric Swatches 2133 to 214203/01/1895[20] Stripe Taffeta [4885] [20] Check Taffeta [4666], [20] Figd Taffeta [4778], 19 Figured Taffeta [4837], [21 Jacq Haitiune 4853], [21 Figd & Primed Taffeta 4927], 20 Check Taffeta 4706, 20 Check Taffeta 4706, 20 Check Taffeta 4866, 21 [Gras Graw] 4014 Black, Pink, Date is represented in the following fashion: Month-day-year or Month-year. If you would like a high resolution image of the individual swatch, please refer to corresponding number on the main image and the supplemental files below. |
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Fabric Swatches 2143 to 215203/01/189521 [Jacq Haitiune 4896], 20 Check Taffeta 3588, 20 [Pontille Check] 4694, 19 Figd Taffeta 3710, 24 [Raye a joun] 4939, 21 Jacq Haitiune 4640, 20 [Pontille Stripe 4764], 20 Check Taffeta [4822], 19 Figd & Stripe taff 4706, 22& [Pongee 401] Black, Pink, Date is represented in the following fashion: Month-day-year or Month-year. If you would like a high resolution image of the individual swatch, please refer to corresponding number on the main image and the supplemental files below |
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Fabric Swatches 2153 to 216203/01/1895[22 Pongee401], [24 Taffeta 4019], 24 Taffeta 4019, 24 Taffeta 4019, 20 Taffeta [4018], 20 [Pontille Check] 4694, 20 [Pontille Check] 4694, [27] Taffeta 4008, 19 Figd Taffeta [4837], 19 [Gras Graw] 4016 Black, Date is represented in the following fashion: Month-day-year or Month-year. If you would like a high resolution image of the individual swatch, please refer to corresponding number on the main image and the supplemental files below. |
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Fabric Swatches 2163 to 217203/01/189519 [Parcielle] Stripe, [28] Check Taffeta 3580, [28] Check Taffeta 3580, [21 Jacq Haitiune 4853], [21 Jacq Haitiune 4853], 27 Taffeta 4008, 21 [Jacq Haitiune] 4646, 21 [Jacq Haitiune] 4908, 21 Figured and Printed Taffeta 4925, 20 Check Taffeta 4512, 20 Check Taffeta 4765 Black, Pink, Red, Green |
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Fabric Swatches 2173-218202/19/2015
20 Check Taffeta 4788, 24 Taffeta 4019, 24 Taffeta 4019, 21 3/4 Taffeta 2495, 27 Taffeta 4008, 22 [Phmocervas Trepe] 4037, 24 Taffeta 4019, 22 [Phmocervas Trepe] 4037, 22 [Phmocervas Trepe] 4037, 22 [Phmocervas Trepe] 4037, Black, Red
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Fabric Swatches 2183-219202/19/2015
22 [Phmocervas Trepe 4037], [20 Pontille] Check 4750, 20 Check Taffeta 4788, 21 Printed Taffeta 4961, 20 [Pekin Stripe] 4881 , 24 Taffeta 4019, 19 Gras Graw 4016, 19 Figured Taffeta 3994, 19 Figured Taffeta 3994, Black, Pink, Yellow, Blue
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Fabric Swatches 2193-220202/19/2015
21 [Jacq Haitiune] 4646, 19 [Glace] Taffeta 4007, 19 [Glace] Taffeta 4007, 24 Taffeta 4019, 24 Taffeta 4019, 27 Taffeta 4008, 24 Taffeta 4019, 21 Figured and Printed Taffeta 4923, 21 Figured and Printed Taffeta 4927, 21 Printed Taffeta 4961, Black, Pink, Yellow, Green
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Fabric Swatches 2203-221202/19/2015
21 Printed Taffeta 4961, 21 Printed Taffeta 4961, 20 [Ponille] Check 4694, 19 Figured Taffeta 3994, 27 Taffeta 4008, 27 Taffeta 4008, [24] [Table] Stripe [5339], 20 [Caunelle] Stripe 4660, 24 Taffeta 4019, 27 Taffeta 4008, Black, Purple
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Fabric Swatches 2213-222202/19/2015
, 27 Taffeta 4008, 27 Taffeta 4008, 27 Taffeta 4008, 21 Taffeta 2498, 20 [Pontille] Stripe 4851, 27 Taffeta 4008, 20 [Pontille] Stripe 4764, 20 Figured and Check 4731, 21 [Gras Graw] 4014, Black, Pink
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Fabric Swatches 2223-223202/19/2015
19 Taffeta 2445, 19 Figured Taffeta 3930, 20 Check Taffeta 4666, 21 Figured and Print 4927, 20 Stripe Taffeta 4883, 27 Taffeta 4008, 20 Check Taffeta 4821, 19 Figured Taffeta 3942, 21 Figured and Printed Taffeta 4924, 27 Taffeta 4008, Black, Pink, Yellow, Blue
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Fabric Swatches 2363-237203/06/2015
21 Brocade 5323, 21 Printed Stripe Taffeta 5404, 21 Printed Stripe Taffeta 5404, 21 [3/4] Taffeta 2495,[27] Taffeta 4008, 27 Taffeta 4008, 24 Taffeta 4019, 19 Figured Taffeta 5373, 20 Check Taffeta 5304, 19 Figured Taffeta 5311, Red, Pink, Black, Yellow, Orange
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Fabric Swatches 2403-241203/06/2015
19 Taffeta 2445, 19 Taffeta 2445, 20 Stripe Taffeta, 19 Figured Taffeta 5411, 24 Taffeta 4019, 19 Figured Taffeta [3710], 19 Figured Taffeta 5311, 24 Taffeta 4019, 21 Printed and Stripe Taffeta 5404, 19 Figured Taffeta 5309, Black, White, Green, Purple
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Fabric Swatches 2413-242203/06/2015
19 Figured Taffeta 5325, 19 Taffeta 2445, 20 Stripe Taffeta 5301, 19 Figured Taffeta 3930, 21 Figured and Printed Taffeta 5339, 20 Stripe Taffeta 4732, 19 Figured Taffeta 5363, 19 Figured Taffeta 5363, 19 Figured Taffeta 5325, 24 Taffeta 4019, Green, Purple, Blue, Black
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Fabric Swatches 2423-243203/06/2015
20 Stripe Taffeta 5239, 19 Figured Taffeta [5301], 19 Figured Taffeta 5370, 19 Figured Taffeta 5311, 19 Figured Taffeta 3710, 24 Taffeta 4019, 24 Taffeta 4008, 19 Figured Taffeta, 27 Taffeta 4008, 19 Taffeta 2445, Black, Red, Green, Pink, Purple, Brown
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Fabric Swatches 2433-244203/06/2015
24 Taffeta 4019, 24 Taffeta 4019, 24 Taffeta 4019, 24 Taffeta 4019, 24 Taffeta 4019, 19 Taffeta 2445, 20 Stripe Taffeta 4883, 19 Taffeta 2445, 24 Taffeta 4008, 19 Taffeta 2445, Black, Orange
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Fabric Swatches 2443-235203/06/2015
20 Check Taffeta 5383, 24 Taffeta 4019, 24 Taffeta 4019, 21 Brocade 5576, 27 Taffeta 4008, 24 Taffeta 4019, 24 Taffeta 4019, 19 Taffeta 2445, 21 [Chine Salin] Taffeta 5510, 21 [Chine] Figured Taffeta 5488, Green, Yellow, Pink, Black
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Fabric Swatches 2453-246203/06/2015
21 Rhinocerous Crepe 4037, 19 Taffeta 2445, 19 Taffeta 2445, 21 [Chine] Stripe Taffeta 5404, 27 Taffeta 4008, 24 Taffeta 4019, 19 Taffeta 2445, 24 Taffeta 4019, 20 Check Taffeta 4823, 20 Check Taffeta 5384
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