The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Recovering identity: the role of textual evidence in identifying forgotten azlon fibres from the mid-20th century

Recovering identity: the role of textual evidence in identifying forgotten azlon fibres from the mid-20th century
Recovering identity: the role of textual evidence in identifying forgotten azlon fibres from the mid-20th century
Text has been critical in establishing the identity of a group of largely forgotten mid-20th-century textiles, the azlons. These fibres were developed from proteins in milk, eggs, peanuts, soya beans and corn by researchers in America, Europe and Asia who were seeking substitutes for wool. This technological innovation was driven by concern that imminent war meant normal supplies of wool would become unavailable. This paper describes two of the main types of textual evidence used in developing an understanding of these fibres. The first derives from the very names of the fibres themselves and is evident in the text which is closest to the textile – the label giving the name of the fibre. Given that so few surviving examples of these fibres have been identified in museum collections, the second source of textual and contextual evidence is fashion and technical magazines, trade literature, business archives and patents as well as personal records and interviews. The huge potential of these sources will be discussed. It is hoped that this review of the benefits and limitations of textual sources will help curators and conservators identify such fibres in their collections.
azlon, regenerated protein fibers, wool, labels, branding, ardil
9781904982265
29-33
Archetype Publications
Brooks, Mary M.
cf44ae8e-ed4b-4394-a1ae-d434a898cf08
Hayward, Maria
Kramer, Elizabeth
Brooks, Mary M.
cf44ae8e-ed4b-4394-a1ae-d434a898cf08
Hayward, Maria
Kramer, Elizabeth

Brooks, Mary M. (2007) Recovering identity: the role of textual evidence in identifying forgotten azlon fibres from the mid-20th century. Hayward, Maria and Kramer, Elizabeth (eds.) In Textiles and Text. Archetype Publications. pp. 29-33 .

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

Text has been critical in establishing the identity of a group of largely forgotten mid-20th-century textiles, the azlons. These fibres were developed from proteins in milk, eggs, peanuts, soya beans and corn by researchers in America, Europe and Asia who were seeking substitutes for wool. This technological innovation was driven by concern that imminent war meant normal supplies of wool would become unavailable. This paper describes two of the main types of textual evidence used in developing an understanding of these fibres. The first derives from the very names of the fibres themselves and is evident in the text which is closest to the textile – the label giving the name of the fibre. Given that so few surviving examples of these fibres have been identified in museum collections, the second source of textual and contextual evidence is fashion and technical magazines, trade literature, business archives and patents as well as personal records and interviews. The huge potential of these sources will be discussed. It is hoped that this review of the benefits and limitations of textual sources will help curators and conservators identify such fibres in their collections.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 2007
Additional Information: These postprints are the third in a series of three volumes of papers emanating from the conferences of the AHRC Research Centre for Textile Conservation and Textile Studies, Textile Conservation Centre, University of the Southampton, and published by Archetype Publications.
Venue - Dates: Textiles and Text: Re-establishing the Links Between Archival and Object-based Research, Winchester, UK, 2006-07-11 - 2006-07-13
Keywords: azlon, regenerated protein fibers, wool, labels, branding, ardil

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 49650
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/49650
ISBN: 9781904982265
PURE UUID: 875c2591-42b0-48c9-bc0c-09692b889d72

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 19 Nov 2007
Last modified: 08 Dec 2023 18:03

Export record

Contributors

Author: Mary M. Brooks
Editor: Maria Hayward
Editor: Elizabeth Kramer

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×