Levi Strauss 1873-1973

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   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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Sansome Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List ADMIN Joined: 20 Jan 2012 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 14476	Post Options Post Reply Quote Sansome Report Post Thanks(2) Quote Reply 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?

Sansome Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List ADMIN Joined: 20 Jan 2012 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 14476	Post Options Post Reply Quote Sansome Report Post Thanks(7) Quote Reply 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.

Dr_Heech Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MODERATOR Joined: 23 Jan 2012 Location: Mostly outdoors Status: Offline Points: 26168	Post Options Post Reply Quote Dr_Heech Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply 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

Cinch Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List whiskered Joined: 04 Mar 2012 Location: Bay Area Status: Offline Points: 2891	Post Options Post Reply Quote Cinch Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply 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.

ThisSunday Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List whiskered Joined: 23 Jan 2012 Location: Queens, NYC Status: Offline Points: 12096	Post Options Post Reply Quote ThisSunday Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply 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

Grant Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List whiskered Joined: 22 Jan 2012 Location: NYC Status: Offline Points: 2563	Post Options Post Reply Quote Grant Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply Posted: 09 Apr 2012 at 2:08pm
	Really great info Mike. Learning denim history like this is what makes this forum great!

Sansome Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List ADMIN Joined: 20 Jan 2012 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 14476	Post Options Post Reply Quote Sansome Report Post Thanks(3) Quote Reply Posted: 10 Apr 2012 at 1:27am
	Thanks guys-glad you like the information^^

Joseph Hill Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List whiskered Joined: 21 Feb 2012 Status: Offline Points: 4888	Post Options Post Reply Quote Joseph Hill Report Post Thanks(2) Quote Reply 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.

Sansome Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List ADMIN Joined: 20 Jan 2012 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 14476	Post Options Post Reply Quote Sansome Report Post Thanks(2) Quote Reply 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

BGB Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List crocked Joined: 07 Feb 2012 Location: London Status: Offline Points: 154	Post Options Post Reply Quote BGB Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply 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 http://ragtopvintage.wordpress.com/2010/10/08/old-levis/ Edited by BGB - 30 Apr 2012 at 4:11pm
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