TRAVELING SALESMAN'S FABRIC SAMPLE KIT for MEN'S SUITS.

Small hinged suitcase type box with 100+ fine fabric swatches on 78 descriptive cards laid in, approximately 39 of the cards have a single 4x7 inch swatch and 39 have two 4x3.5 inch swatches smaller swatches). The fabrics are mainly wool and meant for Men's Finely Tailored Suits.

The cost of the suit made from the various fabrics is cleverly printed beneath the swatches, meaning that a potential customer would see the fabric they like and actually touch it, before being shocked by the price, e.g. $27.95 for a suit! It's the old salesman's trick, once a potential client touches an item the odds are they're going to buy it.

Salesman's ephemera is laid-in on top of the cards, including: "Agents Price List and Bonus Offers / Fall and Winter 1941 / Do Not Show To Customers"; Order Forms, Mailing Envelopes, Measuring Chart, Receipt Book, Notepad with Company Letterhead, etc.

VERY GOOD condition: The case has wear to its edges and shows signs of use, but is still solid and working well, in fact I could go door-to-door with it now no problem; internally everything seems in very good shape, bright, clean, complete.

1941 Fabrics for Men's Suits. They don't make them like that anymore. At least not in Chicago!

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE NOTE: This item is heavy and will require substantial additional shipping charges. After placing your order you will be notified of the additional charges and be able to accept or reject them before your payment is processed. Or you can contact us ahead of time to find out the shipping charge to your country. Thanks.

ILLUSTRATED SINO-JAPANESE ENCYCLOPEDIA, This Volume on TEXTILES, GARMENTS, CLOTH, CLOTHING and FOOTWEAR.

WAKAN SANSAI ZUE, by Ryoan Terashima.

Published in Japan, circa 1712 (presumed first edition). TEXT IN JAPANESE.

This is ONE VOLUME from the Illustrated Sino-Japanese encyclopedia published in 1712 during the Edo period. The entire work consisted of 105 volumes in 81 books. This book contains chapters 27-30, describing and depicting textiles, clothing, footwear and headwear.

Blue paper covered flexible boards, stab-stitched, paper label on front cover 102 pages. Illustrated with b&w drawings.

FAIR condition: The covers are worn, with scrapes, areas worn through the blue paper, and much chipping to the original paper labels; otherwise these original covers are still sturdy and doing their job. Internally, there is worming throughout, heaviest at the gutter area and the bottom margin, but also with worm holes and long worm lines on the face of some pages; nonetheless the pages are quite legible (except maybe some characters) and the drawings and printing are sharp and clear.

An original 1712 volume of the Wankan Sansai Zue.

About WAKAN SANSAI ZUE (from Wikipedia)

******The Wakan Sansai Zue (Illustrated Sino-Japanese Encyclopedia) is an illustrated Japanese leishu encyclopedia published in 1712 in the Edo period. It consists of 105 volumes in 81 books. Its compiler was Terashima or Terajima (Terajima Ryoan), a doctor from Osaka. It describes and illustrates various items and activities of daily life. As seen from the title of the book (wa), which means Japan and (kan), which means China), Terajima's idea was based on a Chinese encyclopedia, specifically the Ming work Sancai Tuhui ("Pictorial..." or "Illustrated Compendium of the Three Powers") by Wang Qi (1607), known in Japan as the Sansai Zue. Reproductions of the Wakan Sansai Zue are still in print in Japan.******

BLEACHING and CALICO-PRINTING: A Practical Manual, by George Duerr and William Turnbull.

Published by Charles Griffin & Company, London, 1896. First Edition.

Hardcovers, brown pebbled cloth covered boards, gilt titles to the spine, blind stamp design and framing to the front cover, 6x9 inches (15x22 cm), 142 pages, plus 19 "Pattern Sheets".

Contains 114 FABRIC SWATCHES mounted on the 19 pattern sheets at the rear. ALL the fabric swatches are present.

Illustrated with 23 in-text illustrations and three folding plates.

GOOD condition: The covers have some wear at the spine ends and a touch at the corner tips; internally, there is a bit of waviness to the upper corner area of the front free endpaper and the half-title page, the front inner hinge is splitting for an inch at the top and 2 inches at the bottom but is tight and holding well, and one of the fold-open plates has a long closed tear that has been repaired and reinforced with clear tape on its blank backside; otherwise tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked.

Rare 1896 first edition complete with all 114 fabric samples. (Beware the numerous computer generated reprints and copies lacking fabric samples.)

FASHION DESIGNER'S SKETCHBOOK. Sketchbook has hard black covers with 11" x 13" sketch paper bound in. Approximately 65 pages have either writing or sketches, mostly sketches with associated notes. Most of the sketches are on only one side of the sheets, with the back sides blank. The sketchbook was most likely owned by a fashion designer who worked for the firm of GIBSON PALERMO of San Francisco. Laid in are two SIGNED black and yellow crayon fashion drawings, one is Inscribed "To Mr. Palermo" and dated 1983. Unfortunately I cannot make out whose signature it is, and that signature is the only clue I could find as to who this sketchbook actually belonged to. Also laid-in are two Gibson Palermo photo cards, one announcing its Spring Summer '81 collection, the other simply stating "Gibson Palermo" beneath a

close-up of a blazer. Again, the sketches in the book appear to be by one of the Company's fashion designers. These are early sketches, in pencil. They certainly appear professional in nature. The sketches seem to be from 1982-83 (there are dates on a couple pages) and seem to be in preparation for an upcoming season. Sketches include early studies for a Vest Dress, Jersey Sweater, Pattern Silk, Cumberbund in Wool Crepe, Long Camisole, Cashmere and Jersey Strapdress, and much, much more. Condition: The covers are well worn and coming loose and the binding is shaky, but the covers are still hanging on. The sketchbook pages are very nice, clean, with pencil drawings and annotations that are clear. The laid in signed sketches are creased and worn, especially around the edges. The sketchbook provides a nice look into the thought process of a high-end fashion designer of the early 1980s.

VOYAGE TO THE WORLD OF KOREAN EMBROIDERY. By Ho Tong-hwa (Huh Dong-hwa), Director of the Museum of Korean Embroidery; with essays by a number of experts on Korean Embroidery. Lavishly Produced, Gorgeously Illustrated, Large Format Book in Folding Case. Published by the MUSEUM OF KOREAN EMBROIDERY, Seoul, Korea, 2001. First (and only) edition. Text in Korean and English. SIGNED and INSCRIBED in KOREAN by the AUTHOR, Ho Dong-hwa, on the title page. The author has put HIS CHOP beside his inscription. Large Format Hardcover Book, blue cloth covered boards, gilt titling to the front cover and spine, 10.5 x 14.5 inches, textured silver endpapers, 323 pages plus a Colophon page, housed in a matching blue paper covered folding case. The book contains 38 pages of Essays in English, followed 168 Color Plates on 218 pages (some plates double page), followed by 38 pages of Essays in Korean, followed by an Explanation of the Works (each of the 168 plates is described, this section in Korean only), followed by a Bibliographical Chronology of Huh Dong-hwa in English and Korean, and ending with the Colophon Page. The gorgeous 168 Color Plates, illustrated on 218 pages, are divided into the following four categories: FOLDING SCREEN EMBROIDERY; WRAPPING CLOTH; COSTUME AND EVERYDAY ARTICLES EMBROIDERY; and BUDDHISM EMBROIDERY. Condition: FINE book, tight, bright, clean and unmarked; in a NEAR FINE case that just has slight wear to a couple corner tips. A BEAUTIFUL COPY. SCARCE and LOVELY. INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE NOTE: This is a very large and very heavy book. It will be expensive to ship and will require substantial additional shipping charges. After placing your order you will be notified of the additional charges and be able to accept or reject them before your payment is processed. Thanks.

COUTURIER DREAMS. Fashion Art in Photographs by Katherine Adams.

SIGNED by the ARTIST/PHOTOGRAPHER, Katherine Adams, on the title page.

Beautiful and inspirational art photographs that show the spirit of textiles in dreamlike dances. Simply gorgeous.

Published by Nazraeli Press, Tucson, Arizona, 2005. FIRST EDITION limited to only 1500 copies, as stated on the Colophon page (the last page).

Large format hardcover book in dustjacket, 11.5x14 inches, 64 unnumbered pages. ISBN: 1590051319.

Condition: FINE book, tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked; in a VERY GOOD dustjacket that has light soiling and rubbing. A solid, attractive, very presentable copy.

May your fashion designs always dance like these!

From the Publisher: ******A self-confessed plain dresser, Katharine Adams instead dazzles the world with the fabulous collection that is Couturier Dreams. Gorgeous floating emulsion "garments" dance on every page, with a life and style all of their own. Adams makes collage emulsion images by removing Polaroid photographs from their paper backing and placing them into baths of warm water. She then remounts them onto Arches Watercolor paper, coaxing them into a suggestive silhouette, sometimes taking up to six hours to achieve what she wants. The results are joyful, playful, sensual and original, with a sense of freedom that is gloriously liberating. Spending long hours in the darkroom, Adams describes getting into a dream state as vital to her work. "A type of alchemy occurs," she explains, "when the image is set free, floating, and my journey starts." This beautifully produced book features forty of the artist's most powerful images, richly printed on matt Japanese paper. A stunning first monograph, Couturier Dreams is limited to 1,500 copies.******

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE NOTE: This book is heavy and will require additional shipping charges. After placing your order you will be notified of the additional charges and be able to accept or reject them before your payment is processed. Or you can contact us ahead of time to find out the shipping charge to your country. Thanks.

FENDI ROMA (LEGENDS). Text by Carlo Ducci.

Published by Assouline, New York, 2016. ISBN-10: 1614284725 ISBN-13: 978-161428472.

Large format hardcover book in slipcase, black cloth covered boards with white paint titling on the front cover and spine (the paint comes off very easily) and blind embossed title at the top of the front cover, 11x14 inches, 260 pages.

ILLUSTRATED THROUGHOUT with gorgeous photographs of Fendi's renowned designs.

Condition: VERY GOOD book, the white paint title on the spine has been mostly wiped away (again, the cover paint is renowned for flaking off with the touch of a finger), otherwise the book is tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. In a VERY GOOD slipcase that has a few minor edge and corner tip bumps. A lovely, very presentable copy.

This book has become very hard-to-find.

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE NOTE: This book is heavy and will require substantial additional shipping charges. After placing your order you will be notified of the additional charges and be able to accept or reject them before your payment is processed. Or you can contact us ahead of time to find out the shipping charge to your country. Thanks.

MAY GOD LET HIM GROW: A Child's Birth in the Culture and Customs of Bohemian and Moravian Jews. Text by Dana Verselska, et al. Published by the Jewish Museum in Prague, 2009.

A book on vintage JEWISH CIRCUMCISION TEXTILES used in BIRTH CEREMONY RITUALS from 1668 to 1930.

ILLUSTRATED with COLOR REPRODUCTIONS of over 100 CIRCUMCISION TEXTILES, most printed on fold-open pages. Also illustrated with color photographs of items related to the Jewish birth ceremony ritual.

Softcovers, French folds, 9x8 inches (22x21 cm) oblong, 312 pages.

NEAR FINE condition, slight pushing to the cover corner tips, overall tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. A lovely, very presentable copy.

From the Publisher:

******This book is the result of almost five years research undertaken between 2004-2009 by staff at the Jewish Museum in Prague on the DONATED CIRCUMCISION TEXTILES used by Bohemian and Moravian Jews. These textiles were acquired from collections both in the Czech Republic and abroad. These are circumcision textiles that were used in actual birth circumcision ceremonies.

Catalogs 1,328 circumcision textiles,with brief descriptions that include translations of their Hebrew dedicatory inscriptions. Illustrated with over full color illustrations.

Features a specialist study on the ceremonies that are connected to the birth of a child in the culture of Bohemian and Moravian Jews, as well as three other specialist studies that provide a detailed analysis of the Torah binder, made from the swaddling cloth used at a boy's circumcision.

There are also indexes of the forenames and surnames of the donors (i.e. the boys who were circumcised or their parents or grandparents) and an index of the localities mentioned in the dedicatory inscriptions. A unique register of circumcisions from 1668 to 1930.

This book / catalogue provides an important resource for anyone interested in Jewish circumcision rituals, textile art, and/or genealogy.******

TEXTILES FROM BOHEMIAN AND MORAVIAN SYNAGOGUES - from the Collections of the Jewish Museum in Prague.

Published by the Jewish Museum in Prague, 2003. ISBN 8085608650.

Hardcover Book in Slipcase, 9x12.5 inches (22.5x31 cm), 376 pages

ILLUSTRATED with 500 COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS of Synagogue Textiles: Curtains, Torah Mantles, Valances, Covers, etc. They are gorgeous.

FINE, as new book in a NEAR FINE card slipcase that has just a bit of spine end and corner tip creasing. A beautiful copy.

From the Publisher:

******A de luxe catalogue of synagogue textiles from the collections of the Jewish Museum in Prague, produced to accompany the exhibition "For Dignity and Adornment" which took place at the Imperial Prague Castle March-June 2003.

The catalogue text and illustrations cover most of the textiles presented at the exhibition, as well as other select examples of the rich diversity of the Museum's textile holdings, amounting to a thousand items. Moreover, they broaden the scope of information on individual groups of textiles by adding other striking examples.

The wide variety of the collection is reflected in 500 full-colour illustrations.

Sections include: The Specific Symbols of Moravian Synagogue Textiles; Valances and their Specific Iconography; Textiles of Oriental Provenance; Fabrics of Chinese Provenance; The Historical Background of Donors; The Development of Hebrew Dedicatory Inscriptions and the Contemporary Use of Czech and German Inscriptions; The Donation of Synagogue Textiles as Reflected in Epitaphs; The Restoration of Textiles at the Jewish Museum in Prague; and The Identification of Collection Points.

Textiles include: Curtains, Torah Mantles, Valances and Covers. Catalogue Entries also include the name of the donor and information on the place from where the item came.

The catalogue ends with a glossary of Hebrew terms and an index of names and localities.

An indispensable resource for anyone interested in Jewish culture, and for all lovers of textile art.******

INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS PLEASE NOTE: This book is heavy and will require additional shipping charges. After placing your order you will be notified of the charges and be able to accept or reject them before payment is taken. Thanks!

LACES FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF THE JEWISH MUSEUM IN PRAGUE / Krajky ze sbírek Zidovskeho muzea v Praze. Text by Dana Veselska.

Published by the Jewish Museum in Prague, 2004. ISBN: 8085608863. TEXT in ENGLISH and CZECH.

Contents include: Laces on Synagogue Textiles, Lace in Large Compositions, Lace as Material for Iconographic Motifs, Wedding Covers, Shpanyer Arbet, Lace and Clothing.

ILLUSTRATED with color photographs and detailed b&w drawings.

Softcovers, 8.5x8 inches (22x21 cm) oblong, 115pages.

FINE condition, tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. A lovely copy.

From the Publisher:

******This exhibition catalogue is the result of a two year research project by the Jewish Museum in Prague. Showcasing 70 items, it features the most important examples of predominantly metal thread laces in the museum's collections.

It is divided into three sections: Lace on Synagogue Textiles, Shpanyer Arbet, Wedding Covers and Garments. As well as detailed full colour photographs, the catalogue also contains a number of patterns and designs of vintage laces dating from the 17th-19th centuries.******

NORTH EUROPEAN TEXTILES UNTIL AD 1000, by Lise Bender Jorgensen.

Published by Aarhus University Press, Denmark, 1992. First Edition. ISBN: 8772884169.

Hardcovers, no dustjacket as issued, 8.5x12 inches (21x30 cm), Illustrated with b&w maps, drawings and photographs.

This is not a how-to book on weaving, but rather an important archeological study of how weaving and textiles developed in early Northern Europe. Filled with data and maps, the book catalogs over 1,200 archeological textile finds. It should be of great interest to any weaver interested in the history and development of weaving in Britain and other Northern European countries.

Previously owned by the noted American weaver and authority on ancient textiles, Ute Bargmann, with her lovely bookplate on the front pastedown illustrating a weaver at her loom.

GOOD condition, the covers are lightly bumped at the corner tips and have a bit of wear at the spine ends, but remain solid and bright; the page edges (page edges of the closed book) are foxed; internally there is a bookplate on the front pastedown as noted above, otherwise the pages are tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. A nice, presentable copy.

About the book North European Textiles Until Ad 1000 and its author Lisa Bender Jorgensen (from the back cover):

******This book argues that the first steps towards organized textile production in Northern Europe were taken more than 2,500 years ago, in the early Iron Age. Later, larger scale textile industries developed. One of these industries was centered around the English Channel and North Sea coastal areas; it played an important part in the rise of the Carolingian Empire and Anglo-Saxon England.

North European Textiles until AD 1000 catalogs around 1,200 textile finds in Great Britain, Ireland, The Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Finland, providing an extensive survey of a much neglected archaeological field.

LISE BENDER JØRGENSEN is a research fellow at the School of Conservation at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen. She has written several books on archaeological textiles, as well as books on the Renaissance fishing village of Sandhagen and on Denmark's oldest town, Ribe. She has excavated in Denmark and Egypt, and is a founding member of the North European Symposium of Archaeological Textiles (NESAT).******

About the previous owner, Ute Bargmann (from her online obituary):

******Ute H. von Zezschwitz Bargmann, 81 of Conway, Massachusetts, died on August 14, 2021. She grew up in Germany and studied at the Sprachen und Dolmetscher Institut in Munich where she graduated as a translator and interpreter. She moved with her husband to the United States in 1965. She developed a love of research, publishing, and early textiles while working as Head Clerk of Interlibrary Loan and Senior Special Collections Assistant at the University of Massachusetts, University Archives, Amherst, Massachusetts, where she worked until she retired.

Ute purchased her first loom of many in 1972 and from there became well known in the textile community for her depth of knowledge and creative approach to weaving. In 2016 she received The Distinguished Achievement Award from the Weavers Guild of Boston. She was a member of Weaver Guild of Springfield, Weavers Guild of Boston, and Weavers of Western Massachusetts. She also served on several boards of textile associations and museums. Her weavings have been shown at numerous exhibitions. Ute authored and contributed to numerous published works on weaving and early textiles.******

PHOTO ALBUM with 500+ COLOR PHOTOS of QUILTS from QUILT SHOWS 1992-1996. Photo Album / 3-Ring Binder containing 110 pages (55 sheets with multiple photos laid in on each side), pages covered with clear plastic sheet protectors that cling to the page and hold the photos in place (usually). ALL THE PHOTOS SEEM TO BE OF QUILTS FROM VARIOUS QUILT SHOWS that took place from 1992 to 1996. The owner of this photo album obviously attended quite a number of quilt shows and took lots of color snapshots. There are small notes about the shows and/or quilters on many of the pages, i.e. Pacific International Quilt Show 10/92 Hyatt Regency, Burlingame (California); Dec. 2, 92 - Black & White & Color All Over - Quilts by Gretchen Hill - New Pieces; San Ramon (California) 92; Nancy Freeman 12/92; Quilts by East Bay Heritage Quilters - Kaiser Center Art Gallery, 93, Oakland (California); Guild of Quilters of Contra Costa County - 93 Anniversary Quilt Show; Virginia Levine 10/93; etc. Most of the photos are in the range of 4" x 6" to 3" x 5", some smaller, some larger, approximately 4 - 6 per page. These are actual photos, with "Kodak" on the backsides of the photos. Most photos appear to be laid in loosely, held in place by the clinging plastic page coverings. Most can be removed and examined on both sides. The photos all appear clean and in generally GOOD to VERY GOOD condition.

SWISS COSTUMES, by Ernst Laur and Kurt Wirth. A book filled with Traditional FASHIONS of SWITZERLAND.

ZURICH: Verlag Silva-Bilderdienst, 1954. First edition.

SIGNED, INSCRIBED and DATED on the front pastedown by the AUTHOR, ERNST LAUR. The inscription is in German and is dated 1954, the year this book was published.

ILLUSTRATED with 60 Tipped-In COLOR PLATES showing a wide array of TRADITIONAL COSTUMES.

Hardcover Book in Dustjacket, 8.5x12 inches (21x29.5 cm), 129 pages. TEXT in GERMAN.

Condition: GOOD book, the covers have a bit of foxing to the upper margin and are lightly soiled; internally the pages are age toned, as normal; all the plates are bright, sharp and lovely; the inscription is bright and clear. In a FAIR dustjacket that has wear and tears to the edges, spine ends and corners, all of which have been repaired and reinforced with clear tape on the blank backside and, to a lesser extent, the frontside.

A solid, complete, presentable copy with its 60 lovely plates. Unique and special with the author's 1954 SIGNATURE and INSCRIPTION.

A book full of inspiration for that fashion designer in your life and/or soul.

TWO JAPANESE TEXTILE ART PUBLICATIONS featuring KIMONOS, TEXTILES, FABRICS, TEXTILE DESIGN and FABRIC DESIGN. Published in Japan, 1981. TEXT IN JAPANESE. FULLY ILLUSTRATED throughout with gorgeous examples of Kimonos, Textiles, and Fabrics, as well as some of the textile designers. Softcovers, 9x11.5 inches, 173 pages each. GOOD condition, one issue has sunning and creasing to the spine, the other issue has some wear to the top of the spine and some creasing to the upper corner of the inner pages, both are split at a couple places where the issues were over opened (i.e. they now lie flat at those places) but all pages remain bound, there is an old price sticker from Kasuri Dyeworks on the rear cover; otherwise the issues are complete bright, clean and unmarked. The illustrations are all gorgeous. A treat for the fabric designer in your life or soul. INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE NOTE: These heavy issues will require substantial additional shipping charges. After placing your order you will be notified of the additional charges and be able to accept or reject them before your payment is processed. Or you can contact us ahead of time to find out the shipping charge to your country. Thanks.

WOVEN WIRES: the ART of MODERN ZULU WIRE WEAVING, by Laura Ponter, illustrated by Camille Stabler.

SIGNED and INSCRIBED by the AUTHOR on the first page: "To Florence Graham / The weave of freedom begins with simple thoughts and basic materials and a spirit of humanness / Laura Ponter".

Published by Spirits in Stone Press, Glen Ellen, California, 2008. First Edition, so stated. ISBN: 9780615214177.

Softcovers, 9x10 inches, 64 pages. Illustrated throughout.

VERY GOOD condition, just lightly used, tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. A solid, very nice copy.

From the rear cover: "Woven Wires is an introduction to the history, technique and beauty of the modern art of weaving with wires. It is one person's journey into the growing craft art of the Zulu people of South Africa."