yarn, metallic
date: label: Date made
content: 1949
name: label: maker
content: Dobeckmun Company
notes: label: Description
content: Metallic yarns have been used in textiles for thousands of years. The tarnish on metallic yarns has been a problem for thouseands of years too. So industry set out to make a synthetic replacement for metal yarns that would not discolor with age and use. By 1940, Metlon Corporation had introduced a replacement for gold and silver that consisted of aluminum foil laminated between layers of cellophane. They later replaced the cellophane with cellulose acetate, and eventually with Mylar (polyester). Before WWII began, two other companies (Reynolds Aluminum, and Dobeckmun) worked together to develope another replacement for metal yarns. No research was done during the war as aluminum was a war material. When the war ended they resumed their joint effort, but had a following out over design and marketing. Eventually, Dobeckmun came out with an aluminum and plastic yarn they named Lurex. In 1947 a company known as Metalllic Yarns Inc. began producing an all aluminum yarn. Metallic Yarn Corporation was purchased by Metlon Corporation. Metlon and Lurex became great competitors.
label: Description
content: These are spools of Lurex yarn made with aluminum and plastic. The picture also shows a pale pink and gold fabric made with nylon and Lurex yarns. Sample cards of metallic yarns from Metlon and Dobeckmun are also seen.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Dobeckman Co.
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T10318B
label: catalog number
content: T10318B
label: catalog number
content: T.10318B
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Yarn, Metallic
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 3 1/4 in x 3 in; 8.255 cm x 7.62 cm