The Thread That Binds the Union North to South

Newark, NJ: The Clark Thread Company, 1880. Very good. Large trade card, n. d. (1880s); 7 x 5; lithographed illustrations (color and monochrome); slight crease to upper right corner, else minor wear; in very good or better condition.A beautiful advertisement for Clark's O.N.T. Spool Cotton, the card pictured a white lady sitting and leisurely embroidering, while an African American woman stood behind her, holding a large basket of raw cotton. The verso proclaimed: "Patronize American Industries!" and showed a bird's-eye view of the Clark factory in Newark, New Jersey. Founded in 1864 by Scottish-American brothers George and William Clark, the company would become famous for their thread, specifically manufactured to work well with the-then-new invention - sewing machines. It would become the largest threadmaker in the nation by 1873. In 1888, Scientific American would pronounce their factory's chimney (prominenly visible on the current card) as the highest one in the United States at 335 ft.