Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

US Garment industry - 1930s and 1940s

Two Types

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,456
Location
London, UK
The Library of Congress has lots of industry photos of the American industry in the 1930s and 1940s.
They are all from Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection

Half-made garments on the racks, awaiting final operations of the machines, in cooperative garment factory, Hightstown, New Jersey, 1936
8a21079v.jpg

8a21081v.jpg


New York. Meeting of Local 48, International Ladies Garment Workers union, 1943:
8d12368v.jpg


Opening of garment factory, Hightstown, New Jersey, 1936:
8a02324v.jpg


Some of the operators at the Jersey Homesteads garment factory working at their machines for union wages and under union conditions. Hightstown, New Jersey, 1936
8a21049v.jpg


Boris Drasin, president of the workers' Aim Association Inc., works as an operator in the garment factory at a the same wage as the other operators. Hightstown, New Jersey, 1936:
8a21059v.jpg


Barry Leving, a tailor in the cooperative garment factory at the Jersey Homesteads, a United States Resettlement Administration subsistence homestead project. Hightstown, New Jersey, 1936:
8a21067v.jpg


Louis Gushen, chief cutter in the cooperative garment factory of Jersey Homesteads, is cutting the pattern for a woman's coat. Hightstown, New Jersey, 1936:
8a21124v.jpg


Seventh Avenue and West 28th Street, New York. Garment workers leave the factories for noon hour, 1936:
8b29544v.jpg


Auction of secondhand garments. Boise, Idaho, 1941
8c31956v.jpg
 

Two Types

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,456
Location
London, UK
Auction of secondhand garments. Boise, Idaho - 1941:
8c31958v.jpg


New York. Loading trucks in the garment district, 1943:
8d26824v.jpg

8d26831v.jpg


New York. Jewish worker in the N.M. dress shop which is now making blouses for the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC). he is a member of local 89 of the International Ladies Garment Workers' Union, 1943:
8d24265v.jpg


"Need a spring coat? Be sure to look at the label to find the wool content of the garment. If you know exactly what you're buying, you'll know what the cost should be and how to take care of it
... Pric control exceptions story. As a war measure, price ceilings have been placed on nearly everything Americans eat, wear, and use. Clothing and furniture are among many articles controlled by the OPA (Office of Price Administration) order"

8e10756v.jpg


Measuring girl for a coat in cooperative garment factory at Jersey Homesteads, Hightstown, New Jersey, 1936:
8a21128v.jpg


Mannequin modelling coat, made at the Jersey Homesteads garment factory, at the showroom in New York City, 1936:
8a21176v.jpg


Making hats in the cooperative garment factory at Jersey Homesteads, Hightstown, New Jersey, 1936:
8a21097v.jpg

8a21111v.jpg


Style show of the opening of garment factory, Hightstown, New Jersey, 1936
8a02339v.jpg


(P.S. The captions are the originals as listed in the Library of Congress)
 
Last edited:

Two Types

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,456
Location
London, UK
"Secondhand clothing store, Columbus, Ohio" 1938
8a18521v.jpg

8a18523v.jpg


"People making purchases from white proprietor of street clothing stall, Black Belt, Chicago, Illinois" 1941
8a15627v.jpg


"Dry goods and clothing store, Manchester, New Hampshire" 1937
8a14839v.jpg


"Secondhand clothing store, Corpus Christi, Texas" 1939:
8a25365v.jpg


"Proprietor of credit clothing store in Mexican district, San Antonio, Texas" 1939:
8a25633v.jpg


"Clothing store with tailor in doorway, Mexican district, San Antonio, Texas" 1939v (look at the jacket backs!)
8a25540v.jpg


"Fall clothing window display, Windsor Locks, Connecticut" 1939
8a27329v.jpg


"Secondhand clothing stores and pawn shops on Beale Street, Memphis, Tennessee" 1939:
8a41386v.jpg


"Black citizens buying secondhand clothing with the money they earned picking cotton. Clarksdale, Mississippi Delta, Mississippi" 1939:
8a41402v.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Two Types

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,456
Location
London, UK
"Window shopping, Manchester, New Hampshire" 1937
8a14973v.jpg


"Farm family window shopping, Williston, North Dakota" 1937
8a22447v.jpg


"Washington, D.C. Girls window shopping" 1943
8d25540v.jpg


"Detroit, Michigan. Fashion show presented by the Chrysler Girls' Club of the Chrysler Corporation at Saks Fifth Avenue store. Typical American girl " 1943
8d25110v.jpg


"Detroit, Michigan. Fashion show presented by the Chrysler Girls' Club of the Chrysler Corporation at the Saks Fifth Avenue store. Girl modelling a brassiere and girdle" 1942
8d25120v.jpg


"Material from last year's garment fashions the skirt of Cynthia's dress. By making some of the clothes for herself and her family, a woman can fully utilize all leftovers. To conserve fabric, old garments should be re-made when not worn out. Mothers with young children "cut down" discarded adult coats, suits and dresses, conservation measure of an earlier generation" 1943
8e00943v.jpg


"Detroit, Michigan. Fashion show presented by the Chrysler Girls' Club of the Chrysler Corporation at Saks Fifth Avenue store. Girl modelling a typical afternoon dress" 1942
8d25122v.jpg


"Mexicans looking at suits for sale, San Antonio, Texas" 1939
8a25534v.jpg


"Salesman displaying sample of suit material to farmer, Hammond, Louisiana" 1939:
8a26001v.jpg


"Aero Leather Coat Company, Inc. Designer demonstrates double-breasted flap on lamb's wool flying suit " 1942
8b06912v.jpg
 

Shinobichi

Familiar Face
Messages
73
Location
Burnaby BC
Wow...thanks for uploading these pics!!! I was salivating! Wish I had a time machine...hahaa you're so right about the backs of those jackets!

Shinobichi
 

Two Types

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,456
Location
London, UK
8a21194v.jpg

Woman at sewing machine in New York tailor shop on University Place near 11th Street, 1936

8b14942v.jpg

8b14946v.jpg

Washington, D.C. A tailor in Frank's cleaning and pressing establishment altering a pair of pants for a customer, 1942

8b21660v.jpg

Pressing a coat in tailor shop. San Augustine, Texas, 1939

8d45204v.jpg

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Isidore Rubinoff, the tailor for the Greyhound Company, measures a new driver for his uniform 1943

5a19513r.jpg

Sosnick & Thalheimer, business in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Menswear 1950

5a22265r.jpg

Rogers, Peet & Co., business at 600 5th Ave., New York. Men's clothing section 1953

5a20447r.jpg

John Wanamaker, business in Great Neck, Long Island, New York. Men's clothing 1951

5a16809r.jpg

De Pinna, business at 5th Ave. and 52nd St., New York City. Men's clothing 1951

3c18470v.jpg

Men pulling racks of clothing on busy sidewalk in Garment District, New York City 1955
 
Last edited:

Two Types

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,456
Location
London, UK
Group of sweatshop workers in shop of M. Silverman. 30 Suffolk St., N. Y. Feb. 21, 1908. Location: New York, New York (State)
04454v.jpg


Man loaded down with heavy bundle of vests that he had been carrying for many blocks, stopping to rest, occasionally, when he would drop the bundle down onto whatever boxes or railings were available, (even tho[ugh] they were dirty). Location: [New York, New York (State)] 1912
04154v.jpg


Aero Leather Coat Company, Inc. : Clipping excess wool along seam edge 1942
3c39559v.jpg


Aero Leather Coat Company, Inc. : Pattern cutting 1942
3c39561v.jpg


Aero Leather Coat Company, Inc. : Stamping horsehide suspender straps 1942
3c39563v.jpg


Best Coat and Apron Mfg. Company : Operating automatic buttonhole making machine 1942
3c39553v.jpg


Pressing a hat -- Dunlap factory (circa 1910)
3a24657r.jpg


Top turning collars by Machinery, Troy, N.Y. 1928
3a50610r.jpg
 
Messages
13,672
Location
down south
8d45204v.jpg

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Isidore Rubinoff, the tailor for the Greyhound Company, measures a new driver for his uniform 1943

Ha!! How many businesses with uniformed employees have a tailor on staff to make sure the uniforms fit properly these days?
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,356
Messages
3,079,525
Members
54,288
Latest member
HerbertClark
Top