Perfect Patterns
These five bright samples of cotton cloth were manufactured in c.1923 by the American Printing Company of Fall River (M.C.D. Borden & Sons, Inc., New York, New York). The vibrant hues of orange, blue, purple, green, and red, were labeled as “fast color” fabrics, meaning the colors were not likely to bleed when washed. Amongst the eye-catching geometric patterns are motifs that hint at the line’s theme: Nile Novelties. Images of desert pyramids, hieroglyphics, and the head of the Sphinx are all meant to evoke thoughts of Ancient Egypt and its marvelous wonders, particularly those being unearthed during the 1920s.
In November 1922, a team lead by British archeologist Howard Carter and his patron, Lord Carnarvon, began to excavate a tomb in the Valley of the Kings that they suspected belonged to Tutankhamun, pharaoh of Ancient Egypt during the Eighteen Dynasty. Over the course of a month, Carter and his team would unearth a staircase, antechamber, treasury, and a door to the tomb of the young king. His remarkedly intact tomb, with its glittering golden artifacts, quickly captured the public’s attention, and thus Tutmania began.
Clothing, jewelry, furniture and textiles featured Egyptian motifs, such as these fabric samples, and even the likeness of “King Tut” himself. Books, films, and music centered around the tales of Ancient Egypt and the discovery of cursed tombs. Even an architectural style, known as Egyptian Revival, sprouted up during this time, particularly used for cemeteries and movie theaters.
It is of no surprise that the largest printed textile producer in the world would jump aboard the Tutmania band wagon.
Ultimately even this trend couldn’t sustain the city’s slumping textile production. American Printing Company ceased their Fall River operation in December 1934. While the mill complex remained in use for a few more decades, most notably by Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. After several devasting fires, the closure of the plants, and a lack of use, the mill building of the American Printing Company was demolished in 2011.