| Nonotuck Silk Co., established in 1838 at
Florence, Mass., created its brandname Corticelli to compete with Italian silks, then the
rage. In 1887 the company began publishing a booklet called Florence Home Needlework.
There were yearly issues from at least 1887 through 1896, each containing 96 pages. Back
issues could be ordered for 6¢ or all 10 for 60¢. Contents and illustrations were mainly
about embroidered items to make or to purchase at dealers. In essence it was a catalog of
available products. Ads were for Corticelli’s spool silk and embroidery floss in
skeins.
No bookletwas published in 1897. It was renamed Corticelli
Home Needlework with a subheading of A Manual of Art Needlwork, Emboridery
and Knitting and reissued in 1898.
An impressive list of editors included art designers, writers
from other textile publications and from the Nonotuck staff. Issues included a photo
gallery of all the Corticelli mills, color plates for embroidering and instructions for
stitches and knitting. Aside from the Corticelli ads there was one for Fleisher’s
Knitting Worsted; it is not known if this company was part of the Corticelli conglomerate
or if it was a paid ad.
|
 Florence Home
Needlework 1896 |
 Corticelli
Home Needlework 1898 |
 Home
Needlework Magazine 1899 |
 Home
Needlwork Magazine 1900 |
 Home
Needlwork Magazine 1907 |
 Home
Needlework Magazine 1915 |
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| In 1899 the publication was renamed Home
Needlework Magazine with a subtitle of A Quarterly Periodical devoted to Art
Needlwork, Crochet, Knitting and Home Decoration. It was published in January, April,
July and October by the Florence Publishing Company and again had an impressive slate of
needlwork authorities as editors. Paid advertisers were accepted such as Samule Pryor,
needlwork designer, Good Housekeeping, Payson Indelibe Ink and Baker’s Chocolates. By
1900 advertising covered four pages plus inside and back cover and by 190s increased to 12
pages. In 1906 the publication went bimonthly in February, April, June, August, October
and December and continued to expand in superb lithography, articles and advertising.
Sometime between fall 1908 and spring 1914, production was switched to monthly and
published by the Home Needlework Publishing Co. Corticelli or other brands were not
suggested in various needlework articles. Stamped embroidery pieces could be ordered
directly from the magazine but maker was not given.
|
The Modern Priscilla as it looked in Novemer 1902 |
The July 1930 Modern Priscilla was the last issue
before it merged with Home Needlecraft. |
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| Between October and December 1916 the size of magazine was
increased from 9-1/2" x 6-3/4" to 14" x 10-1/4". Home Publishing began
offering its own booklets on crocheting, edgings, insertions, doilies, centerpieces, for
example. In the April of 1917 the magazine announced it would consolidation with The
Modern Priscilla as of the following month and both publications would be combined
into one. Increasing labor costs, a world war and the near duplication of the two
magazines were the prime factors in accepting a long-considered proposal from The
Modern Priscilla. This merger was the last in the Corticelli’s climb from catalog
to an all-around magazine. |
Barbour’s Linen Thread and Star Needlework
Journal
| Barbour Thread Co. and American Thread Company
were two other company’s which produced publications. |
Star Needlework Journal , 1917, front cover published by
the Thread Agency |
Star Needlework back cover showing American Thread's
Willimantic Mills |
Barbour’s Linen Thread for Art
Needlework and Crocheting, 1926, published by the Linen Thread Co., NY |
Additional Literature
| Cover of New Ideas in Needlework c mid-1920s -- Virginia Snow Studios is the name of Collingbourne Mills needlework plant. Books featured Collingbourne and Dexter threads and yarns, some under the Virginia Snow name. Back cover shows various needlework booklets the company published. - From the Shirley McElderry collection
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This Virginia Snow Studios catalog, Book 36 c mid-1920s-30s, features the familiar Grandma Dexter logo and thread and yarn lines from Dexter and Collingbourne Mills. A dime bought a wealth of information. - Courtesy Judy White
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Thread Chart | Spool
Sizes and Shapes | Labels - Misc. | Labels 2 - Misc. | Labels -
Belding Corticelli Richardson | Labels - American
Thread Co., Globe Silkworks, Gudenbrod Bros., Paragon Thread Co., Sears, Talons, Cutter
Silk Mfg. Co. | Labels - Coats & Clark | Ads | Ads Page 2 | Thread Memorabilia | Printed Literature | Cabinets / Furniture | Thread Column First Page | Crochet, Knitting and Tatting on Wood Spools
The arbitrary cut-off date for
this Vintage Fabric column is 1960. To stay within the scope of this timeframe, reference
materials published up to that date are the prime source of information to more accurately
capture actual thoughts of the time.
Joan Kiplinger is an antique doll costumer and vintage
fabric addict who learned to sew on her grandmother's treadle and has been peddling
fabrications ever since.
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