Moda

1937 · ref. 54988 — Chicago: Ferris Woolen Co. Successor to Detmer Brewer & Mason Wawak Co. Inc. 1937. Sample case. 27.75 x 11 x 7.5 in. Containing 172 thick cards w/ black & red advertising lettering stock & style Nos. with 172 woolens worsted wool imported wool samples some preshrunk all mounted on the cards. Original sample display case w/ green textured cloth over boards divided into 3 compartments nickel plate slider hinges printed advertising on inner lid and drop front reinforced corners some minor wear insect predation around fore-edges of a few samples still a remarkable display case from the John the Tailor Shop Suits and Overcoats made to order Wausau WI w/ stamp on top Wawak sample card. First edition of this spectacular tailoring sample counter display for men’s suits and overcoats in the Fall & Winter of 1937-1938. Ferris Woolen Company a subsidiary of Wawak Woolens was originally founded in 1922 in Chicago along with Detmer Woolen Co. Bruner Woolen Co. Mason & Hanson Inc. and Salter & Wolf to supply woolens & trimmings to tailors and department stores across the United States. The companies were known for their high-quality wools at a reasonable price and often incorporated imported wool wool silk blends gabardines and tweeds especially from Scotland Wales France and Great Britain. In 1933 the Wawak Co./Ferris Woolen Co. purchased the exclusive right to all the Detmer Bruner Co. customers West of the Mississippi. They quickly began commissioning and producing display cases reflecting the change and proved very successful with the Ferris Woolen Co. catering to the trade into the 1960s. These sample cases were very expensive to produce and so were most often found in department stores mercantiles and men’s stores which would have these display on the sales floor for two seasons or more often adding or subtracting fabrics as they became available. The samples included with this case offer invaluable textile reference for the colours and fabrics during the era of fashion influenced by the elegance and glamor of Hollywood films and film noir at the time. The styles depicted on the inside of the lid and the drop-down front are reminiscent of the very popular Thin Man fashions worn by William Powell and Myrna Loy at the time. No copies located in Worldcat. Ferris Woolen Co., Successor to Detmer, Brewer & Mason, Wawak Co., Inc., hardcover