Sample of Peruvian Mestizo raw cotton fiber; Wonalancet Co., NH; 1913
date: label: date made
content: 1913
notes: label: Description
content: Sample of Peruvian Mestizo raw cotton fiber; Wonalancet Co., NH; 1913. Raw Peruvian Mestizo Cotton. Always characterized, by stain and more or less of the inside of the cotton "boll or "'scruff" remaining with the cotton: Nearly always quite '"leafy" 'in comparison with high types of white Peruvians, Value:- Varies according to amount of leaf, seed, sand and clay and color: Instances have been known where one bale (weighing 200 lbs.) of the lower grades of Mestizo cotton contained 20% of clay. [per 1913 Accession folder information]
label: Description
content: The cost and long supply chain of wool imports into the US (which did not produce enough wool to meet domestic demand during the heyday of the American woolen industry) led manufacturers to explore substitutes and additives. Specific strains of Peruvian and Chinese cotton were exploited for this purpose, as being "wool-like" in staple length and feel.
label: Description
content: The Wonalancet Co. was incorporated in 1905 by Harry Harmon Blunt in Nashua, NH. The company imported cotton from Piura and Lima, Peru, and from China; it was in existence at least into the mid 1970s.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: Peru
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
label: See more items in
content: American Textile Industry
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of the Wonalancet Company, Nashua, NH
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T00713.000
label: catalog number
content: T00713.000
label: accession number
content: 55402
label: catalog number
content: T713
objectType: label: Object Name
content: raw cotton sample
label: Object Name
content: cotton fiber
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: cotton (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 in x 8 in x 14 in; 15.24 cm x 20.32 cm x 35.56 cm