Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Unless noted, digital media are not available online. Copies of unrestricted digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access will be provided to use copies of unrestricted digital files rather than carrier media, such as CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. Some or all electronic files may be unavailable or restricted due to privacy reasons, agreement with the donor, software is not available to interact with files, or because files cannot be retrieved from original media.
Specimens Illustrating the Lecture by Professor W.H. Perkin on the Permanent Fireproofing of Cotton Goods, 1912 contains a booklet of textile samples produced for the International Congress of Applied Chemistry in New York. The specimens demonstrate the fireproof capabilities of fabrics, as developed and presented by W.H. (William Henry) Perkin at the 1912 Congress. Perkin was a chemist who created a method for treating cotton that leaves it permanently fireproof.
William Henry Perkin Jr. was born in Sudbury, England in 1860. His father was a chemist and discovered the first synthetic dye. Perkin followed in his father’s footsteps and also pursued chemistry. He began his studies at the Royal College of Science, London under Edward Frankland and W.R.E. Hodgkinson. Perkin then attended the Royal College of Science, South Kensington and received his PhD at the University of Würzburg. He remained in Germany until 1886, when he took a professorship at Owens College in Manchester (now Victoria University of Manchester). Perkin was appointed first professor, or chair, of chemistry at Heriot-Watt College the next year then returned to Owens in 1892 as first professor of organic chemistry. His final academic position was at Oxford, where he stayed until his death in 1929.
One of Perkin’s most significant scientific contributions was developing a method for fireproofing cotton fabric. He used sodium stannate and ammonium sulphate solutions to treat the fabric, and the material remained fireproof even after washing. On September 10, 1912, Perkin gave a lecture on this process before the Eighth International Congress of Applied Chemistry. He commented on the importance of fireproofing fabric, explaining that “many disastrous accidents are on record which have been brought about by clothing catching fire.” Perkin discussed the history of fireproofing different materials and the science behind his methods.
The collection contains a single 1912 booklet of textile samples. They are bound in red paper and stapled at the top. Each sample is labeled A, B, C, or D, and two of the samples were singed by fire. The samples illustrate W.H. Perkin's cotton fireproofing methods, which he exhibited to the International Congress of Applied Chemistry on September 10, 1912.
Popular Science Monthly Vol. 81, Permanent Fireproofing of Cotton Goods
The Right Chemistry: The Incendiary History of Flammable Fabrics
W.H. Perkin, Jr., at Manchester and Oxford: From Irwell to Isis
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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], Specimens Illustrating the Lecture by Professor W.H. Perkin on the Permanent Fireproofing of Cotton Goods, MSS 00504, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Purchase (Accession 2026.0091).
Processed by: Ella Mayfield, 2026 August; Collection guide written by: Ella Mayfield, 2026 August
Collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access will require additional advanced notice. Unless noted, digital media are not available online. Copies of unrestricted digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request. Access will be provided to use copies of unrestricted digital files rather than carrier media, such as CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. Some or all electronic files may be unavailable or restricted due to privacy reasons, agreement with the donor, software is not available to interact with files, or because files cannot be retrieved from original media.
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[Identification of item], Specimens Illustrating the Lecture by Professor W.H. Perkin on the Permanent Fireproofing of Cotton Goods, MSS 00504, 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.