The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum Library recently acquired another issue of the The Master Silk Printer, trade magazine of the Oriental Silk Printing Company published from 1922 -1927. It was self-promotional but also served as a vehicle within the fashion industry for providing information related to silk apparel for women. The Paterson-Haledon area of New Jersey was the main center of the silk textile manufacturing industry in the United States during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Most of these factories had showrooms in New York City in what is still known as 'The Garment District’, and many advertised through this trade publication. Companies selling other fashion industry goods such as dyes, machinery, chemicals, ribbon, and related products also advertised here.
The Master Silk Printer, self proclaimed as “a journal devoted to silk uplift”, and “a journal devoted to printed silk,” published on the fifteenth day of each month for a target audience of “Buyers of Broad Silks and Ribbons, Buyers of Silk Costumes; Cutting-Up establishments, Leading Dressmakers, to the Middlemen; to the Upholstery Trade; to the Manufacturers and Converters; to the Distributing Market Houses, to the Commercial Associations, and to Clubs."
A typical issue consisted of several editorial features, general and timely topics of interest specific to the silk trade, fashion trends abroad, new print patterns, and fashion forecasting. The April 1923 issue cover presented the new “Thebian prints” for the upcoming season—following the craze for anything Egyptian that developed following the opening of King Tut’s tomb the previous year. Industry-related governmental regulations, patent information, corporate personnel news, and industry exhibitions were reported. In the buyers' guide small paragraphs about topics such as “ Polka Dot Phases”, “Magpie Prints" (black and white patterns), or “Handkerchief Squares” were interspersed with longer feature articles or supplements. Black and white photographs, color illustrations, line drawings, ornament vignettes, and cartoons made this an attractive and informative publication that is of historical interest today.—Elizabeth Broman
3 Comments
I am currently in possession of what are probably rather rare volumes, each one being a bound edition consisting of a year’s worth (12) of The Master Slik Printer trade magazine, years 1923, 1924, 1926, 1927. The first two volumes are approx 7 1/2 inches wide X 10 inches high, the latter two are approx 7 1/2 high x 5 1/4 inches wide. These were presented to my grandfather at the time that he was employed, as accountant and then Treasurer, by the Oriental Silk Prining Company. It is my understanding that a select number of people received these personalized bound volumes and my grandfather’s name, W. F. Wiles is printed on the spine of each volume. Not being a professional book collector I would say that these volumes are in good to very good condition, given their age. Some have samples of silk fabric.
In addition, it appears that the Oriental Silk Printing company commissioned illustrators to design their covers, and I am also in possesion of the original artwork, in the original frame, of an illustration by Nell Hott (aka Hatt) that was used for the June 1923 cover. She was weeel-known (or became well known) for her magazine cover illustrations.
Wow, Gary! Sounds like quite a treasure. If you’d like some pointers for having your books appraised, see our web page here: http://library.si.edu/information-old-books
Enjoy your beautiful volumes!
Erin Rushing
Outreach Librarian
Dear Gary Platt: Do you still have these volumes of Master Silk Printer? Please respond to Elizabeth Broman, Reference Librarian, Cooper Hewitt Library bromane@si.edu