Crazy 'Bout Ribbins & Hosiery Too

From a 1919 ribbon craft catalogue found in my school's library.

 

(I would be extremely surprised if any of these mills still existed. I imagine they must have provided at least some economic support to those small towns.)

And some other textile mills and machinery that have gone the way of the small-town American ribbon factory (from this book):

Some from the Vaults

Some drawings from a 2011 sketchbook:

Yesterday I discovered and joined Retronaut, the web-site of my dreams, chock-a-block with bizarre photos from the past, going way back to the invention of photography until the 1990s. 

My personal favorites are the "Banner Ladies", who - from what I can gather - where the some of first "sandwich board" advertisers - you get the feeling from the photograph that this was a totally new kind of job for women. I love everything about these photographs but the way the clothes are ornamented especially blows my mind. Hanging dolls off a dress is definitely one way to get peoples' attention: