White Schools of Costume Art. Notebook.
Probably Illinois, ca. 1930. Item #1415 4to. 280 x 230 mm., [11 x 8 ½ inches] 45 leaves, with 101 mounted samples Two ring binder of black paper over boards, with the word “Campus” embossed on the upper cover; corners of binder a bit chipped, small abrasion on upper board; body of the binder is bowed with contents; interior samples show some spotting and some folds; otherwise in very good condition. Excellent survival of this student’s notebook, created by Martha Carver, a pupil with the Cleveland-based correspondence course sponsored by the White Sewing Machine Company. The contents of the binder are arranged by lessons, beginning with essential stitches and working their way through pockets, plackets, hems, ruffles, quilting, honeycomb smocking, fancy stitches, trimming, cloth flowers, tucking, collars, and finally a smart little red sleeveless vest. An advertisement for the White School of Costume at promises that "In this famous school you will learn the very same commercial methods used by clothing manufacturers in copying work of the famous French ateliers." The White School appears to have been a program offered in the late 1920’s and 1930’s. It was free to those who ordered a White Rotary Electric sewing machine, an award winning machine that was sold through the Sears Catalogue and eventually absorbed under the Kenmore brand. The company was established in the 1850’s in Massachusetts and following the movement of the population west settled permanently in Cleveland in 1866.
According to public records, Martha Carver was a young girl from Greenup, Illinois, who was born in 1910. Ms. Carver must have taken the correspondence course as her home in Illinois was nearly 450 miles from Cleveland. This work is a testament to her skill and determination to learn the sewing trade and to the school that helped create a work force of young women that fueled the growth of the clothing industry between the world wars.
Price: $1,500.00