plain weave; piece-dyed (overall production method/technique)
Measurements:
overall: 36 in x 39 1/2 in; 91.44 cm x 100.33 cm
Object Name:
Fabric Length
Place made:
United States: New York, New York City
Date made:
1929
Description:
Length of golden yellow "Pussy Willow" silk; a fine soft radium-like, plain weave fabric (mfr #5459) The HR Mallinson & Co trade name Pussy Willow was the firm's best known and most important product. Advertised as tub fast (washable) and pure dye. This length, in gold (mfr # 3486) is a solid color coordinate that matches the golden yellow used in various colorways of certain designs in the Early American print series of dress silks.
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.
