Medal, Champion Silk Co., Gudebrod Brothers,1945
date: label: Date made
content: 1945
notes: label: Description
content: Medal; bronze metal medal for Champion Silk commemorating 75 years of service to Gudebrod Bros. (1870-1945), 3-inch diameter,1945.
label: Description
content: Face of medal shows the bust of a knight wearing armor and a helmet, carrying a shield. "Ribbon" surrounding the knight is inscribed with the words "BRAIDED SILK & NYLON LINES, SEWING THREADS for EVERY PURPOSE, CHAMPION SILK". Reverse shows an arm holding an olive branch along with the inscription "75 YEARS, FIDELITY SERVICE, THOSE WHO STRIVE TO EXCEL SHALL ACHIEVE SUCCESS, 1870-1945, GUDEBROD BROS." 3-inch diameter.
label: Description
content: The Gudebrod family emigrated from Germany in the mid 19th century and settled near Windsor Locks, Connecticut, where Christian Gudebrod, the oldest son, worked at the Smith Silk Mills. After learning the manufacturing side of the business, he became a successful salesman, later joining Belding Bros. Silk Company. In 1885 Christian bought the John Bertram Silk Company, renaming it The Champion Silk Company. Shortly thereafter, the company moved to Bethlehem, PA, taking over the Cutter Silk Mills. They operated there until “Charlie Schwab had his well known fight with Andrew Carnegie; and in order to force his way into the steel business in Bethlehem, Schwab purchased the entire valley and gave mills, warehouses, homeowners and small property owners one year to relocate their business to other areas. The brothers began looking for other plants outside the area of the Schwab ownership and were fortunate in locating an idle plant in Pottstown, PA.” The firm moved the plant to Pottstown in 1895and renamed the firm ''The Gudebrod Brothers Silk Company, Inc.'' The company had its peak employment during World War II, but after losing a customer that accounted for 5/8’s of its business (Glide Floss), Gudebrod closed its doors in 2010.
label: Description
content: ATHM Collection - #: 2010.233.5; gift of Doris Cadrette
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: American Textile History Museum Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2017.0232.53
label: catalog number
content: 2017.0232.53
label: accession number
content: 2017.0232
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Medal
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: bronze (overall material)