Building Field Quality Merchandise, A Description, with Illustrations, of the Textile Manufacturing of Marshall Field & Company at Spray, North Carolina; Draper, North Carolina; Leaksville, North Carolina; Fieldale, Virginia
Chicago and New York: Marshall Field & Company, 1921.
10.75 x 15.5 inches, extensively illustrated from photographs. Original brown wrappers with lettering stamped in gilt, red and gilt insignia. Light edgewear, bump to upper corner, minor damage to head of spine; very good. A lavish promotional book aimed at retailers and intended to reinforce the notion that Marshall Field's supplied only finest quality merchandise: "goods designed and built to give a maximum of service --goods representing the fullest possible measure of value -- goods which will secure and insure the full confidence of your community." This is accomplished through a detailed presentation of the company's textile manufacturing and quality control processes. Each of the company's North Carolina and Virginia textile mills is shown in all its glory, with photographs of rows of gleaming machinery used to weave, card, spin, and knit a variety of fabrics; piles of finished textiles; and shots of focused workers carefully inspecting the materials for defects. In a textbook show of industrial paternalism, the book also reassures customers that the flow of goods should continue uninterrupted, as the company provides its workforce with benefits that make them content, and thus efficient. The text describes educational facilities, "a staff of trained nurses" who safeguard the health and hygiene of the workers, and athletic, musical, and other recreational activities. There images of company-owned bungalows "leased to the employees at modest rentals," and "other views which show how Marshall Field & Company provide for the welfare of their textile operatives," including bowling alleys, a billiard room, a company baseball team, and even a "Girls' Mandolin Club."
Item #19928
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