The Vanderbilt Shirt Factory – Asheville, NC

One of the great things about living near a place like Asheville is the fun of playing tourist for a day.  We often get up to a day with nothing important on the agenda and take the drive into the city for lunch and window shopping.

Last week we were walking down a street passing by a favorite antique mall when I noticed the old sign above the door: “Vanderbilt Shirt Co. Inc.”  I’d seen the sign before and never given it a lot of thought.  At one time there were quite a few manufacturing businesses in the upper floors of Asheville retail establishments.  I can remember Vanderbilt from when I was a teen in the late 1960s and early 70s because they had a factory outlet that I loved to visit.  Suddenly, I was overcome with curiosity about the company.

I spent some time on the net, looking for information, and for a while I thought I was going to come up empty.  How is it that thriving businesses can close, and 20 years later there is little evidence that they ever existed?  Finally I found the transcription of an oral history interview in which the owners of the factory were mentioned.  Once I had their names, I got lucky.

Thanks to a project called The Family Store, there is a fairly good record of the Jewish businesses that flourished in Asheville in the early and mid 20th century.  Researchers Sharon Fahrer and Jan Schochet conducted interviews and compiled information about these businesses that was in danger of being forgotten.  In 2003 they interviewed Milton Lurey, who founded and owned the Vanderbilt Shirt Company along with his brother-in-law, Herb Wadopian.

Milton had been in the tire retread business, but it was dirty and smelly.  There was a small manufacturer of boy’s shirts next door, and it seemed like a pleasant place, so he sold the tire business and when into the shirt making business with Herb even though neither of them knew anything about making shirts.  They were able to get expert assistance when they found Evelyn Bookbinder, who had been a supervisor at a sewing factory.

They started by making men’s dress shirts, but before long they were doing contract work for other companies.  One of their big clients was Levi Strauss, for whom they made western style shirts.  They then made women’s shirts for Levis as well.  The interview does not give a good idea of dating, but it was probably in the early 1950s.  Around the same time they began making shirts and jackets for the US military.

After a fire the factory moved out of downtown to the outskirts of Asheville, where the business was located when I remember it.  The outlet was located in a fantastic old native rock building that was probably at one time a restaurant.   The outlet also sold blouses and dresses that were labeled Langtry, Ltd.  I’m not sure of the connection, but Langtry was located in Asheville on the same street as Vanderbilt, so it is possible that they contracted with the Vanderbilt factory.  At any rate, that outlet was my favorite place to shop for several years.  They not only sold clothing, but the leftover fabric from their lines.

I’m hoping the internet will not let me down, that someone who knows more of this story will stumble across this.  If that is you, please post a comment.

Cacharel and Liberty, Perhaps?

One of the must-have items for chic French girls in the mid 1960s was a Cacharel shirt.  Cacharel was founded in the late 1950s by Jean Bousquet, and by 1962 he was making the product that made his fortune – a woman’s shirt cut like a man’s, but trim-fitting and neat.

In 1966, Audrey Hepburn made the film, Two for the Road, in which her wardrobe was pulled from current ready-to-wear collections rather than her usual Givenchy designed wardrobe.  Included were five Cacharel shirts, which she loved so much that she went out and bought some for herself. (Side note: This is a must-see movie, if only for the clothes.)

By 1968 the Cacharel shirt was old hat and Bousquet started looking for a new twist.  He found it in an old-fashioned fabric – the Liberty Tana Lawn.   Under the design direction of his young sister-in-law, Corinne Sarrut, Cacharel began making the shirts from Liberty cottons.  Soon Sarrut was designing a full range of garments using Liberty fabrics.  Combined with a soft and romantic ad campaign photographed by Sarah Moon who created images similar to the ones she created for Biba, Cacharel moved into the 1970s with a look that fit in perfectly with the nostalgia trend.

I rarely find anything with the Cacharel label, so it was a pleasure to pull this shirt out of the Goodwill bins last week.  The first thing that went through my mind was that maybe this was an example of the Liberty/Cacharel shirt.

Of course, the best evidence would have been a label that read “Liberty” but the shirt only has the Cacharel label.  That alone does not prove the fabric is not from Liberty.  I’ve looked at many, many Cacharel shirts online in the past fifteen or so years, and the only ones I’ve ever seen Liberty labeling in are a new line that was released about two years ago.   If anyone has ever seen a vintage Cacharel shirt that also has a Liberty label, I’d love to hear about it and if possible, to see photos.

The label you see that is in mine was used at least in the 1970s, and into the 80s.  There were other color variations, and I’ve often wondered if the purple on white (which are colors also used by Liberty) label was not used on items with Liberty fabric.  Or more likely, I’m over-thinking that one!

Here’s a close-up of the print.  I don’t normally think of a one color on white print when I think of Liberty, but a quick search shows that they are really quite common.  The feel of the fabric is soft and cool, like known Liberty fabrics in my fabric stash.

But whether or not the fabric is from Liberty, I also needed to determine the age.  The biggest clue is in the shape of the collar.  We tend to think of longer points on collars being from the 1970s, but I found a 1968 photo of Jean Bousquet and a model wearing one of the new Liberty shirts.  The collar shape is the same as the one on my shirt.

There is one last clue:

The shirt has a small acetate tape with the international symbols for clothing care.  That was pretty confusing, because these have not been in use in the US all that long.  A quick search led me to a VFG thread on the subject, and from there I was led to a site that says the labels were in use in that from since 1958.  According to the discussion, one of the first countries to use the symbols was France, but that the use of them was not common until the 1970s.  Is it conceivable that they were used in 1968?  Yes, but that would be a very early use of the symbols.

So, I pretty much know that the shirt dates between 1968 and the mid 1970s.  Any thoughts?

This is one of those times that having just the right book came in handy.  Cacharel: Le Liberty by Jeromine Savignon and published by Assouline, tells the story and provided the photo of Jean Bousquet and the model.  Photo copyright Lipnitski/Roger-Viollet

Vintage Miscellany – May 26, 2013

H. Ambrose Kiehl Photograph Collection, University of Washington Libraries

 

Today’s photograph comes by way of my newest favorite resource, Flickr.  I do realize Flickr is far from new, but recently they have really changed things up, and so I did some poking around the site last week and discovered a great feature, The Commons.  The Commons is a collective of photos from institutions who have agreed to post items from their collections on  flickr.  These items have  ”no known copyright restrictions” and so are released for use by the public.

As with any use, the photos should be properly identified and linked to Flickr.  The photo I used is from the University of Washington, and was made by amateur photographer, Ambroise Kiehl, and is labeled Picnic at beach below Magnolia Bluff, Seattle, Washington, ca. 1915.  What makes the Flickr feature so great is that if a user were to recognize any of the persons in any of the photos, that user can leave a comment, and thus add to the information available about each item.  It’s another way the internet is helping increase the body of historical research.  thanks to Beth for putting me on to Flickr

And now for the news:

*   Photographer Jaime C. Moore styled her little girl as women from history for her 5th birthday portraits.

*   Who knew that one of the fringe benefits of working at a museum was the dandy home decorating service?

*   Some museums are starting to loosen up on the “No Photos” policies.   I could have used that last week when I got my hand slapped for taking a photo in a special exhibition at the National Gallery.  (Purely by accident.  Really.)

*   There are great difficulties in cleaning a sari.

*  From 1924 to 1926 photographer  Claude Friese-Greene filmed life in London in color.  Watch the film and be amazed at all the bus traffic!  thanks to Christina for the link

*   Watch the making of a Chanel cashmere cardigan.

*  Fashionista decided to give its readers a fashion history lesson.  Entitled “10 Influential Fashion Designers You’ve Probably Never Heard Of” it’s a reminder that even in our fashion-crazed world there is still a real need for fashion history education.

*   Dior and More: For the Love of Fashion, now through spring 2014,  at the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio.

*  Anna Piaggi was long known for her eclectic fashion style, but no one knew the extent of the contents of her closets until after she died last year.  Now, what does one do with it all?

*  And finally from Metal Flowers Media:

TREASURE HUNTERS, BARGAIN SPOTTERS, FLEA MARKET LOVERS, SAVVY PICKERS ,CASUAL COLLECTORS – if you love the thrill of the chase to find a hidden treasure, if you spend weekends meandering through flea markets, if you have a sixth sense for worthy collectibles or can sniff out a bargain or a  hidden Gem from miles away, we want to meet you!

A major cable network has launched a nationwide search for pairs of treasure hunting enthusiasts to participate in a fun new series. Couples, friends, colleagues, siblings – any duo that shares a passion for their hobby and knows how to do it better than anyone else will be considered.

Candidates may be any combination of men or women of any age who have a fervor for finding and an undeniable will to win! Sorry, professional buyers/sellers are not eligible – this opportunity is for weekend warriors who do it purely for the love of the hunt.

For more information, please go to www.facebook.com/metalflowersmedia or email us your name, your partners name, a little bit about you both, and the best find of your life atcasting@metalflowersmedia.com.

 

Currently Viewing – Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel

This week I finally got to watch this documentary on Diana Vreeland, and it was worth the wait.  Because the film was produced by Vreeland’s granddaughter-in-law, I was afraid that it would be a bit of a sappy tribute.  But no,no,no!  It was carefully crafted from Vreeland’s 1984 memoir, DV, and from interviews she did at the time with Diane Sawyer, Dick Cavett and a smirking Jane Pauley.

In 1983 Vreeland asked George Plimpton to help her write the story of her life.  They conducted a series of interviews which were edited to form DV.  The film uses voice actors to recreate the interviews, along with the film interviews.  While the book gives one a glimpse into the life and character of Vreeland, the film brings what is essentially the same material to life.  Reading Vreeland’s words and seeing her speak them are two entirely different experiences.

The film also includes quite a few interviews with people who worked with her both at Vogue and at the Costume Institute.  It was really interesting how few of them could talk about Vreeland without gesturing with their arms or without exaggerating their voices.  They could not recall her without showing the grand manner in which she spoke.

Particularly interesting was the interview with Harold Koda, who at the time was an intern, and then an assistant curator at the Costume Institute.  He addressed the criticism that the Vreeland shows were long on theatrics  but short on scholarship.  He explained that it was more important to Vreeland that the museum visitors feel the era being represented, rather than merely learning about it.

For an exhibition of 18th clothing Koda carefully researched the high wigs worn at court.  After faithfully reproducing the hairstyle, Vreeland insisted that it was not high enough, so the wig was expanded.  Upon seeing the mannequins they were to use for the show she exclaimed, “They have no éclat! Haut! Haut! Haut!”

Also interesting were the interviews with photographer David Bailey and model Penelope Tree, especially when they were asked to recount the same episode.  Even though the interviews were conducted separately, it was like they were finishing one another’s sentences.

I was struck by who was not included – Grace Mirabella, Polly Mellon, and Si Newhouse, who worked with her at Vogue and Conde Nast.  Perhaps they were asked to interview and declined, but I think that their inclusion, even in a very small way, would have added another dimension to the film.

The film is now available on Netflix, or on pay-per-view via Youtube.  I got the dvd from Netflix, which includes a nice section of additional footage of the interviews.  I would rarely suggest this, but I really think that if you have not read the book, you should see the film first.  After watching The Eye Must Travel (twice!) I’m now reading the book with very fresh eyes.

 

Mrs. Vreeland in her living room.  This is from the back cover of DV.

The Vintage Traveler Goes to College

If you have a blog or a website then you know that one of the most valuable tools around is a traffic tracker.  It’s almost like spying on your own site, seeing where your traffic originates, and in many cases, what search brought them to you. (I did a post on weird searches that brought traffic here, but I’m really due for an update.)

Last week I noticed I was getting a lot of traffic from a site called compositionatthebeach.com.  To be honest, if I get a link in my stats that looks a bit fishy, I usually refrain from clicking through to the site, but this sounded innocuous enough so like a good spy I went off to investigate.  Turns out that The Beach is California State University at Long Beach, and the link was to a forum where first year composition students discuss topics assigned by the instructor.

In this case the topic was “Do you ever stop to think about where your belongings come from? Does that affect their value?”  To facilitate the chat, the students were assigned to read two pieces, and one of them was a blog post I wrote about how I was concerned about how Pinterest users do not always properly link back to the source.  The other article was from Lucky Peach magazine,  written by Christine Muhlke and titled  “Trickle-Down: The Circuitous Path of Ideas in Food and Fashion.”  I can’t find the article online, but it is about how a good idea travels from innovator to mass market.

I thought this was an interesting way to get the students to talk about intellectual property and design.  When I first read the prompt, I assumed that this was going to be a discussion about products being made in Third World countries, but instead the instructor was referring to the actual origin of the belonging – how it was conceived.  And I loved that my blog was considered to be a “belonging.”

The resulting chat was interesting for as much as what the students did not say as for what they did say.   It was encouraging to read that most of them did see how I’d be upset that my photos and writing were posted on sites like pinterest and tumblr without giving proper credit.  It was a bit disturbing to read that some of them thought I was being naive to think I could post anything on the internet without knowing it would be stolen.

Many of them did take a more literal approach to the question, and discussed where their belongings were actually  made.  Almost every single one who made a statement of this sort said they never look at the labels to see where things they are buying are manufactured.  Most of them said that the cost of an item was more important to them than where the item was made.  And only a handful of them mentioned the issues of human rights violations in manufacturing.

Obviously there is work to be done in raising awareness of this issue.  Perhaps that is why the instructor chose the introduction to  Elizabeth Cline’s Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion as the next springboard to discussion.

Time Well Spent – the Cruso Quilt Show

It’s no secret that along with vintage clothing, I have a real love for vintage textiles.  I just find it hard to look at one without considering the other.    So I’m always looking for a chance to see more vintage textiles.

Several years ago my sister-in-law suggested that I check out the annual quilt show that is hosted by the Cruso Friendship Club.  I made the drive to this remote corner of my county and was thrilled to find that the show was not just for newly made quilts, but also for vintage ones.  I’ve tried to go every year since, as there are always a nice selection of vintage quilts, and besides, they have one of the best thrift stores anywhere.

I’m not a quilter, but I do have a healthy respect for the skills required.  And vintage quilts are a great example of how people in the past were such better users of their resources than are most people today.  Look carefully at a vintage pieced quilt and you see recycling  as art.

This is a closeup of the quilt at the top of this post, which was started in the 1930s.  I loved that sailor fabric.

I usually think of the Victorians when I think of crazy quilts, but this one is from the 1940s, as is evidenced by the fabrics.   Can you imagine a dress made of that Paris novelty print?

Some of the quilts in the show are a mix of old and new.  Many of the quilters search out vintage pieced tops that were never completed.  In the one above, the quilter found the old top, and then added the batting and backing, and then machine quilted it.   It’s faster than stitching by hand, but I think the hand stitching looks better with a vintage quilt.  Note the cute Scotty dog fabric.

This quilt was one of my favorites.  It is newly made of vintage feedsack fabric.  Years ago someone gave the club a pile of old feedsacks and just last year they got them out, and pieced them into this lovely quilt.

This is one of the feedsack squares.

More vintage prettiness

I thought this was an interesting take on quilting.  It was made in the 1960s, and is proof that quilts don’t have to be all girly.   It’s all wool except for the backing which is a cotton leopard print.

This modern baby quilt was made by my SIL.  The heads and tails are 3-D.  Note how the simple shapes of the turtles’ bodies are not so simple given a close look.

Click to enlarge

Another modern quilt, this one of cats constructed of various pieces of fabric.  Quite impressive!

One last photo, this of the location where the show is held.  This is the Cruso Community Center, which was formerly the Cruso School.  It was built in 1928 of rock from the nearby river.  When the school was closed in 1967, it was purchased by a local philanthropist and turned over to the community.  It has been used as a community center ever since.   The Friendship Club works hard to maintain the building and the quilt show is just one of their many yearly events.  Photo copyright Cruso Friendship Club

And Even More from Atlanta

I promise, this is the very last post from Atlanta, but I just had to say a few more words about the city before moving on.

It is true that one can tell a lot about a place from looking at the stuff in its antique malls.  In the case of Atlanta, the malls are full of things that reference Gone with the Wind (or GWTW in its abbreviated form) and Coca Cola.  Until you visit Atlanta, you may be blissfully unaware that it is the birthplace of Coke, but once there, you can hardly escape the fact.

I’m so sorry that my photo cannot give the full impact of this window at the Fox Theater.  It really was beautiful, in a red and silver type of way.

One of the landmarks of midtown Atlanta is the 1920s Fox Theater.   Designed in the late 1920s as a Shriner’s “mosque,” the building ran into financial difficulty before it was finished, and the Shriners sold it to movie mogul William Fox who finished the building as a 4,700 seat movie house.  The building was almost demolished in the 1970s, but was thankfully saved through the efforts of a “Save the Fox” campaign.  Today the theater is fully restored and still open, as the venue of traveling Broadway plays and live musical performances.

From the side

Outside of the lobby

The old box office

Beautiful hotel across the street, the 1911  Georgian Terrace.  The gala for the premier of GWTW was held there, with all the stars in attendance.  You might think that the movie premier would have been at the Fox, but instead it was held at the downtown Loew’s Grand Theater.  But like the Fox, the Georgian Terrace fell into disrepair, and was scheduled for demolition.  It was saved when it was placed on the  National Register of Historic Places in 1986.  The Georgian Terrace was restored and reopened in the 1990s.

Yes, this is the same view as the top photo, as this was the view from our room.

And so the Atlanta saga ends.  I’m presently on my way to St. Louis, where I’ll be attending a family affair, and so my trip will be very short.  I hope to fit in a little sightseeing, and a tiny bit of shopping.  Wish me luck!