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Levi Strauss 1873-1973

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote Sansome Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Mar 2012 at 11:09am
Thanks for posting denimdart, I believe this is the front and back side of the same ad^^ Levi Strauss dates this ad or handbill to 1899. Levi Strauss believes that XX started in 1873 so when you take the xx 26 years the standard thats on this ad^^ add 26 to 1873 you come up with 1899. Since i believe that XX started in 1876... I think this ad dates to 1902?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (7) Thanks(7)   Quote Sansome Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 2012 at 12:56am
Finally...Russ (Nonriveted's father) went to have a look at Ed Cray's boxes of research, this is the same research that was used for the 1978 book Levi's. I will for now, list a few things of interest that we got from the research. We learned about a year ago...Levi Strauss was a clothing manufacturer in the 1860's,
my theory was...Levi Strauss was probably making riveted pants in San Francisco once they filed for the patent in 1872...This turns out not to be true, i will have to double check this date, in 1878- Levi Strauss said in the court case (Levi Strauss v.s King)  they first started making riveted pants in San Francisco after the patent was granted...so that theory is gone.

Jacob davis said- All of the pants that he made in Reno, were made of white duck( white sail cloth) Jacob's name and patent pending was on the label...Im guessing that it would be a center patch? Perhaps the tale about the first levi's being made out of tent cloth isn't so far off...Jacob davis was using the same cloth to make tents...We know now- this white duck by definition is sail cloth,  who knows... folks back then probably called  duck fabrics, tent fabrics?


I will have to check this date- in 1876 or 77 the New York factory was set up to make riveted overalls. I think this has been said before? All of the pants were sent to the west coast to be sold. The interesting thing for me is- I think when the New York factory started....So did the XX Amoskeag denim. I will get into this xx theory at a later date.... btw Ed Cray thought - XX started in 1877.


I've said this before- A 1877 government study on( Chinese labor in San Francisco) In 1876 Levi Strauss employed 180 Chinese and 30 non Chinese. The story about Italian women sewing pants is probable true for New York...Nothing I've seen would suggest Italian women in San Francisco.


More to come in the following weeks.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Dr_Heech Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 2012 at 2:02am
Very interesting, great info from you as usual Mike.  Cant wait for the new book(s).

Edited by Dr_Heech - 10 Apr 2012 at 10:37am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Cinch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 2012 at 8:17am
I found the part about the white duck sail cloth to be especially interesting. It makes sense since it was such a common and durable fabric of the day. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote ThisSunday Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 2012 at 8:43am
In the Gold Rush episode of Ken Burns' The West, they said Levi went out west to make tents out of duck canvas but it didn't work out so he made a pair of pants for a miner and the rest is history
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Grant Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Apr 2012 at 2:08pm
Really great info Mike. Learning denim history like this is what makes this forum great!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (3) Thanks(3)   Quote Sansome Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Apr 2012 at 1:27am
Thanks guys-glad you like the information^^
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote Joseph Hill Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Apr 2012 at 8:13am
Excellent stuff.  I thought Crays book was very good, just a little short on info on the garments, and mostly about the business side.  Since that was more likely what people would have been interested in back then, I wondered if he might not have had alot more technical info that wouldn't have made it in the book.  He does refer to Levis as not using sanforisation, but a proprietary process for their preshrunk denim.  True, or just trademark/marketing obfuscation?
 
Interesting take away from the Ken Burns doc.  Just goes to show that even with respected historians, you've always got to maintain a slightly jaundiced eye.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (2) Thanks(2)   Quote Sansome Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Apr 2012 at 3:07pm
[QUOTE=Joseph Hill] Excellent stuff.  I thought Crays book was very good, just a little short on info on the garments, and mostly about the business side.  Since that was more likely what people would have been interested in back then, I wondered if he might not have had alot more technical info that wouldn't have made it in the book.  He does refer to Levis as not using sanforisation, but a proprietary process for their preshrunk denim.  True, or just trademark/marketing obfuscation?
 

Interesting take away from the Ken Burns doc.  Just goes to show that even with respected historians, you've always got to maintain a slightly jaundiced eye.[

I will try to look into the preshrunk question you asked, I'm sure we will have to go back and pour over those boxes of research at a later date. There were all sorts of interesting little tid bits of information, Jacob Davis used a friend to write letters for him.... Levi Strauss paid all of the court fees for A.B Elfelt ( they were probably friends) we found that a lot of these dry goods merchants belonged to the same social clubs. I can't remember the name of the guy who infringed on the Levi patent from San Jose..... He skipped town and disappeared
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BGB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2012 at 4:10pm
question for Mike...

What does the 'pacific' stamp on the back of Levis rivets mean ? sorry if thats a n00b question







Edited by BGB - 30 Apr 2012 at 4:11pm
bluegoldblues.com
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