This collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice.
This collection is comprised of publications and artifacts pertaining to textiles from 1926-1985. Several prominent textile and textile machinery companies are represented, alongside the United States Department of Agriculture. The materials come from the Wilson College of Textiles, part of NC State University.
The Wilson College of Textiles was founded in 1899 as the textile program of the newly-founded North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (now NC State University). The program became the School of Textiles in 1925. During World War II, the school and its alumni produced fabric for the war effort. The school would grow to offer classes in textile technology management, apparel manufacturing, and textile engineering. By the 1990s, the school was known for its research in flame-resistant fabrics.
Today, the North Carolina State University College of Textiles is the largest of its kind in the United States, offering one of only two accredited Textile Engineering programs in the country. The College of Textiles produces more than half of the textile graduates in the United States each year. Students at the college today conduct innovative research to elevate the same fibers and materials represented in this collection.
This collection is comprised of publications and artifacts pertaining to textiles from 1926-1985. The types of publications include pamphlets, machine manuals, posters, reports, books, manuscripts, and hand books. Well-known textile and textile machinery companies like Saco-Lowell and Whitin Machine Works are highly represented, alongside the United States Department of Agriculture's Research and Marketing departments. Many materials in the collection once belonged to Dan Arrowood, who graduated from the N. C. State University School of Textiles in 1948; his signature and notes are present in many of the publications.
Materials are arranged in two series: Series 1, Publications; and Series 2, Artifacts. Series 1 is arranged chronologically, and Series 2 is arranged by artifact type.
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.
[Identification of item], Textiles Publications and Artifacts Collection, MC 00524, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Transfer from the College of Textiles, 2014 (Accession 2014.0125)
Processed by: Jessica Serrao and Gwynn Thayer; machine-readable finding aid created by: Jessica Serrao and Gwynn Thayer; finding aid updated to reflect an addition by Hannah Chapman, 2021 March; collection processed by Emma Eubank, 2024 May; finding aid updated by Emma Eubank, 2024 May
The collection is organized into two principal series:
The Publications series contains materials such as books, pamphlets, manuals, reports, guides, posters, and unbound pages. The materials were published by textile manufacturing companies, scholars, and the United States Department of Agriculture. Notabe items include the USDA's annual reports on "Cotton Fiber and Processing Test Results," Fine Goods Coord.'s Machinery Overhauling Procedures Manuals, and Saco-Lowell's manuals for individual machinery prototypes. All items were accessioned from the N. C. State Wilson College of Textiles. Many of the items in this series particularly belonged to Dan Arrowood, who graduated from the N. C. State University School of Textiles in 1948.
Series 1 is arranged chronologically, with undated materials listed alphabetically at the end.
Cassette tapes that came with this item can be found in Carton 9 of the collection.
The Artifact series contains materials such as metal print blocks of textile advertisements, atom and gravity model kits, textile handling tools, and cassette tapes which correspond to an item in the Publications series. All items were accessioned from the N. C. State Wilson College of Textiles.
Series 2 is organized by artifact type, and then alphabetically within each type.
This collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice.
For more information contact us via mail, phone, or our web form.
Mailing address:
Special Collections Research Center
Box 7111
Raleigh, NC, 27695-7111
Phone: (919) 515-2273
[Identification of item], Textiles Publications and Artifacts Collection, MC 00524, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.