R. Wolfenden & Sons Photographs, 1950
Collection Number: 6896/014 P
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Cornell University Library
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Title:
R. Wolfenden & Sons Photographs, 1950
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Collection Number:
6896/014 P
Abstract:
A series of 24 photographs depicting the dyeing process from beginning to end.
Creator:
Stevens Companies
R. Wolfenden & Sons
Quanitities:
0.33 cubic feet
Language:
Collection material in English
In 1868 Robert Wolfenden founded the Attleborough Dye Works. Around 1878 he brought
his two sons, John W. and Oscar, into the business as partners. It was not until Robert
Wolfenden's death that the name of the company was changed to R. Wolfenden & Sons.
By 1930 the company had one of the largest, if not largest, plants in the world that
does nothing but dye textiles. At that time they employed about 175 people and could
dye 25 tons of fabric per day.
R. Wolfenden and Sons became a division of J.P. Stevens & Co. in 1949.
Images depict, step-by-step, the dyeing process in a 24 photograph series. The series
was made circa 1950. Also includes one other photograph of an employee at a drying
machine, which is not numbered, but appears to be part of the series.
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a reference
archivist for access to these materials.
This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet and
Procedures for Document Use.
INFORMATION FOR USERS
R. Wolfenden & Sons Photographs no.6896/014 P. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation
and Archives, Cornell University Library.
Related Collections: 6896: Stevens Companies Records 6896 AV: Stevens Companies Audio-Visual
6896 F: Stevens Companies Films 6896 G: Stevens Companies Graphics 6896 LS: Stevens
Companies Glass Lantern Slides 6896 MB: Stevens Companies Memorabilia 6896 OH: Stevens
Companies Oral Histories 6896 P: Stevens Companies Photographs 6896 PUBS: Stevens
Companies Publications 6896/001: Stevens Companies Correspondence 6896/002: Stevens
Companies Legal Documents 6896/003: M.T. Stevens & Sons Company Records 6896/004:
J.P. Stevens and Company Records 6896/005: Andover Mills Records 6896/006: Fitchburg
Worsted Company Records 6896/007: Hockanum Mills and American Mills Records 6896/008:
Montello Woolen Mills Records 6896/009: Oslo Woolen Mill Records 6896/010: Pentucket
Mills Records 6896/011: Richmond Worsted Company Records 6896/012: Stevens Linen Works
Records 6896/013: Stevens Mills of North Andover Records 6896/015: Stevens Family
Papers 6896/016: Augustus G. Stevens Papers 6896/017: B. W. Couch Papers 6896/018:
Carl Vetter Papers 6896/019: Daniel J. Gannon, Sr. Papers 6896/020: John H. McGarrigle
Papers 6896/021: Phliip A. Johnson Papers 6896/022: Richard S. Parker Papers
Names:
J.P. Stevens & Co.
R. Wolfenden & Sons (Attleboro, Mass.)
Subjects:
Dyes and dyeing
Textile fabrics
Textile machinery
Textile research
Textile workers
Winding machines
Women textile workers
Yarn
Attleboro (Mass.)--Industries
CONTAINER LIST
Container
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Description
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Date
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Photographic Series on the Dyeing Process
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Scope and Contents
circa 1950.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 1: Textile chemist preparing a dye solution
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a female employee preparing a dye solution
in an office in the company. Bottles of dyes and solutions on table and windowsill;
spools of thread on table.no.1 in a series of photographs on the dyeing process. 25.25
x 20.75 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 2: Mixing tank
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a male employee at a mixing tank. The
dye solution is made up in the tank. A powered agitator stirs the mix. The employee's
scoop probably contains sizing. no.2 in a series of photographs on the dyeing process.
20.5 x 25.25 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 3: Adding size mix to the dye applicator's bath
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a male employee (see also items 16-18
in this folder for views of this worker) adding size mix to the dye applicator's bath.
A size mixture would make the yarn smoother and stronger to stand the strain of weaving.
no.3 in a series of photographs on the dyeing process. 20.5 x 25.5 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 4: Dye kettle and dye applicator
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a dye kettle or dye tank in the foreground,
where the dye solution is stored. On the right is a dye applicator. no.4 in a series
of photographs on the dyeing process. 25.75 x 20.25 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 5: Pressure dye tank
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a pressure dye tank or kettle in which
yarn packages are dyed. no.5 in a series of photographs on the dyeing process. 25.75
x 20.25 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 6: Workman at dye kettle
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a male employee working at a dye kettle.
The operator is working the controls for lifting the dyed yarn on the tray out of
the dye kettle. no.6 in a series of photographs on the dyeing process. 28 x 21.75
cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 7: Dyeing machinery
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a dye kettle (left), dye tank (right)
and dyeing controls with recorders (center). Dyed spools of yarn are being lifted
out of the dye kettle on the left. no.7 in a series of photographs on the dyeing process.
28 x 22 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 8: Close-up view of interior of a dye vat
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts the interior of a dye vat or dye kettle.
The heating coils and the circulator pump are located at the bottom of the kettle
where the dye is stored and then pumped to the adjacent package dye machine. no.8
in a series of photographs on the dyeing process. 25.5 x 20.75 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 9: Yarn packages on a package tray for dyeing
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a close-up view of spools of yarn on
a package tray to be dyed. The yarns are wound on dye-tubes or cloth-covered springs
to form a dye package; the packages are then stacked on the tray spindles (shown here).
The tray is then fed into the dye kettle and the cover closed and sealed before the
dye is pumped into the kettle. no.9 in a series of photographs on the dyeing process.
25.5 x 20.5 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 10: Package dyeing
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a close-up view of spools of yarn in
a dye vat. The kettle is loaded with dye packages on the tray. The image here shows
the retainers on the top of the spindles. no.10 in a series of photographs on the
dyeing process. 25.5 x 20.5 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 11: Female employees at spooler
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts three female employees at work at a
spooling machine. The spooling machine winds the yarn onto cones. no.11 in a series
of photographs on the dyeing process. 24 x 19.5 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 12: Worker hanging skeins to dry
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a male employee removing dyed skeins
of yarn and hanging them on a wooden rod, probably to dry. no.12 in a series of photographs
on the dyeing process. 25.5 x 20.5 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 13: Scouring skein warps
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts two male employees at a scouring machine,
where the skeins are being scoured to remove any oils, dirt, etc. no.13 in a series
of photographs on the dyeing process. 20.5 x 25.5 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 14: Hydro-extractor
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a male employee at a hydro-extractor.
Fabric (or yarn) is placed in the perforated basket, which is then spun (using centrifugal
force) at a sufficient speed as to force the excess liquid through the sides of the
basket. Fabric or yarn so treated thereby requires less time in a dryer or tenter.
no.14 in a series of photographs on the dyeing process. 20.5 x 25.25 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 15: Winding the skeins
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a female employee in the foreground
straightening the dyed skeins of yarn; in the background, another female employee
winds the skeins on a winder. no.15 in a series of photographs on the dyeing process.
20.5 x 25.25 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 16: Piece dyeing
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts male employee examining fabric that
has been dyed (piece dyeing, or dyeing of finished fabric as opposed to dyeing skeins
of yarn or cones). See items 3, 17, and 18 in this folder for other views of piece
dyeing with the same employee pictured. no.16 in a series of photographs on the dyeing
process. 25.5 x 20.5 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 17: Piece dyeing
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts male employee examining fabric that
has been dyed (piece dyeing, or dyeing of finished fabric as opposed to dyeing skeins
of yarn or cones). See items 3, 16, and 18 in this folder for other views of piece
dyeing with the same employee pictured. no.17 in a series of photographs on the dyeing
process. 25.5 x 20.5 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 18: Checking dyed fabric
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts male employee examining fabric that
has been dyed (piece dyeing, or dyeing of finished fabric as opposed to dyeing skeins
of yarn or cones). See items 3, 18, and 17 in this folder for other views of piece
dyeing with the same employee pictured. no.18 in a series of photographs on the dyeing
process. 25.5 x 20.5 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 19: Open width cloth scouring
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a male employee at cloth scouring machine.
An immersion tank is at the bottom. Cloth then passes upward through squeeze rolls
to remove the excess liquid. A safety guard keeps the tender's fingers away from the
squeeze rolls. See item 20 in this folder for a close-up view of this procedure. no.19
in a series of photographs on the dyeing process. 25.5 x 20.5 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 20: Close-up view of open width cloth scouring
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a cloth scouring machine. Cloth is immersed
in a prepared solution in the tank at the bottom. Cloth then passes upward through
squeeze rolls to remove the excess liquid. A metal safety guard keeps the tender's
fingers away from the squeeze rolls. no.20 in a series of photographs on the dyeing
process. 20.5 x 25.5 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 21: Close-up view of immersion tank and squeeze rolls
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a close-up view of the immersion tank
and squeeze rolls used in cloth scouring. The cloth is immersed in a prepared solution
in the immersion tank. The squeeze rolls squeeze out excess liquid; the metal safety
guard keeps the tender's fingers away from the squeeze rolls. no.21 in a series of
photographs on the dyeing process. 20.5 x 25.5 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 22: Inspecting cloth from dryer
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a male employee checking cloth as it
comes off the drying machine and is loosely folded onto a movable pallet. no.22 in
a series of photographs on the dyeing process. 20.5 x 25.5 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 23: Open width dryer
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a male employee operating an open width
dryer, where cloth is being dried and folded. no.23 in a series of photographs on
the dyeing process. 25.5 x 20.5 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 24: Finished bales of cloth for shipping
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a male employee moving a load of finished
bales of cloth into an area holding other bales, possibly a shipping room. no.24 in
a series of photographs on the dyeing process. 25.25 x 20.5 cm.
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Box 1 | Folder 1 |
Item 25: View of drying machine
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Format: black and white photograph
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Scope and Contents
Gelatin silver print, ca. 1950. Image depicts a view of a male employee at a drying
machine where finished cloth is being dried. Unnumbered but part of a series of photographs
on the dyeing process. 25.5 x 20.5 cm.
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