Deep River Lace Company Records
1990.0002

Summary Information

Repository
Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries
Creator
Deep River Lace Company.
Title
Deep River Lace Company Records
ID
1990.0002
Date [inclusive]
undated, 1922-1983
Extent
36.7 Linear feet
General Physical Description note
36.7 linear feet.
Language
Language(s) of Materials
English
Abstract:
The collection contains administrative and financial records, correspondence, patterns and samples documenting the later years of the last Leavers loom lace manufacturer in the state of Connecticut.

Preferred Citation

[Item, Folder #], Deep River Lace Company Records. Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center,  University of Connecticut Libraries

Return to Table of Contents »

History

Deep River Lace Company was the last lace manufacturer using the Leavers lace machines when it closed its doors in June 1990. Housed in a historic building in  Deep River, Connecticut, the four partners --  Anne Denette,  Stanley Jakiel,  Leo Denette and  Peter DeCarli -- were among the last of a group of skilled workers familiar with the older, and more labor intensive, process of lace-making. The company was bought in 1964 from the Arthur Smith family.

Return to Table of Contents »

Scope and Content

The collection consists of administrative and financial information concerning company operations, mostly during the 1950s and 1960s, when the company was known as Arthur Smith Inc. and then, beginning in 1964, as the  Deep River Lace Company. The collection also holds a large number of patterns used for making lace produced by the company.

Return to Table of Contents »

Arrangement

The collection is organized into four series:

Series I: Correspondence ( undated, 1953-1973) includes correspondence between the  Deep River Lace Company and its vendors and clients, as well as with professional and community organizations. There is a small amount of correspondence (1955-1960) to  Herbert Wheatley of  Arthur Smith Inc., the predecessor company of Deep River Lace Company, from Lester or  Jack Wiener of  Wiener Laces Inc. of New York, New York, about sketches of patterns.

Series II: Reference and Information Files ( undated, 1922-1981) includes professional and industry publications concerned with employment and production issues.

Series III: Financial Records ( 1933-1968) include documentation of production costs.

Series IV: Production Records ( undated, 1956-1970) includes patterns, sketches and information on individual machines.

Series V: Photographs ( undated, 1983) contains 14 images of staff, production and products.

Return to Table of Contents »

Administrative Information

Publication Information

 Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries March 2003

University of Connecticut Libraries
405 Babbidge Road Unit 1205
Storrs, Connecticut, 06269
860.486.2524
archives@uconn.edu

Revision Description

 <date normal="20040323">March 23, 2004</date><item>MSS19900002 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15).</item> December 2011

Access

The collection is open and available for research.

Restrictions on Use and Copyright Information

Permission to publish from these Papers must be obtained in writing from both the University of Connecticut Libraries and the owner(s) of the copyright.

Acquisition Information

The collection was donated to Archives & Special Collections in June 1990 by Peter DeCarli, president of the company. The piece work record (1957-1968) and a color photograph of the former owners (1964) were donated by the  Museum of American Textile History in September 1990. A small donation of patterns, correspondence and publications was made in December 2011 by  Felicia Jakiel, wife of one of the last owners of the company.

Return to Table of Contents »

Related Materials

Related Material

Archives & Special Collections has a substantial collection of materials pertaining to Connecticut business records. For detailed information on these collections please contact the curator or ask at the reference desk.

Return to Table of Contents »

Controlled Access Headings

Genre(s)

  • Administrative Records.
  • Correspondence.
  • Drawings.
  • Financial Records.
  • Notebooks.
  • Patterns.
  • Photocopies.
  • Photographs.
  • Publications.
  • Sketches.
  • Swatches.

Geographic Name(s)

  • Deep River (Conn.)

Subject(s)

  • Connecticut--Business, industries, and trades--Textiles.
  • Deep River (Conn.)--Business, industries, and trades--Textiles.
  • Lace and lace making--Connecticut.
  • Lace and lace making--Patterns.

Return to Table of Contents »

Collection Inventory

Series I: Correspondence, undated, 1953-1973 
Box Folder

A--General, 1964-1969 

 1 1

Amalgamated Lace Operatives of America, 1964-1965 

 1 2

B--General, 1973 

 1 3

C--General, 1964-1968 

 1 4

Connecticut Blue Cross, 1957-1968 

 1 5

Connecticut Medical Service, Inc., 1964-1968 

 1 6

Connecticut, State of, 1964 

 1 7

D--General, 1964-1968 

 1 8

Deep River National Bank, 1964-1967 

 1 9

E--General, 1965-1966 

 1 10

F--General, 1967-1968 

 1 11

G--General, 1965-1969 

 1 12

Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection Company, 1964-1967 

 1 13

I. Zendman, Inc., 1964-1968 

 1 14

J--General, 1964-1967 

 1 15

John Jardine Limited, 1964-1968 

 1 16

K--General, 1965-1966 

 1 17

L--General, 1964-1965 

 1 18

Leavers Lace Manufacturers of America, Inc., 1964-1969 

 1 19

M--General, 1966-1967 

 1 20

Manufacturers Association of Connecticut, 1965-1968 

 1 21

N--General, 1964-1970 

 1 22

National Labor Relations Board, 1964-1965 

 1 23

O--General, 1966-1967 

 1 24

P--General, 1964-1966 

 1 25

R--General, 1953-1969 

 1 26

S--General, 1964-1968 

 1 27

Sterling Laces, Inc., 1967-1968 

 1 28

T--General, 1964-1967 

 1 29

Tillinghast-Stiles Company, 1964 

 1 30

Tunnicliffe Developments Ltd., 1964-1971 

 1 31

U-V--General, 1964-1967, 1970 

 1 32

Valley Lace Company, 1964, 1968 

 1 33

Vasiliou, William A., 1964-1965 

 1 34

W--General, undated, 1967 

 1 35
Box Folder Box

Wiener Laces, Inc., 1955-1971 

 1 36 46

Return to Table of Contents »

Series II: Reference and Information Files, undated, 1922-1981 
Box Folder

American Lace Worker, 1967 

 1 37

Comparative Yarn Tables, undated 

 1 38

Cotton Yarn Rules, 1957 

 1 39

Directory of the American Lace Industry, 1950 

 1 40

Levers Price List, 1922-1953 

 1 41

Manufacturers Industrial Guide, undated 

 1 42

Newspaper clippings, 1952, 1978, 1981 

 1 43

Wage Structure, 1949, 1954 

 1 44

Yarn Inventory, 1956 

 1 45
Box

Publications on weaving leavers lace, 1949, 1957 

 47

Return to Table of Contents »

Series III: Financial Records, 1933-1968 
Volume

Ledger, 1933-1940 

 3

Ledger, 1933-1941 

 4

Production (piece work) record, 1957-1968 

 5
Box

Petty cash record, 1964-1968 

 47

Return to Table of Contents »

Series IV: Production Records, undated, 1956-1970 

Machine Notebooks 1956-1970 
Box Folder

 1956-1961 

 1 46

 1957-1960 

 1 47

 1961-1968 

 1 48

 1963-1968 

 1 49

 1967-1970 

 1 50
Box Folder

Price List for Merchandise, undated 

 1 51

Samples 4030-4249, undated 

 1 52

Samples, undated 

 1 53

Patterns, undated, 1958-1968 
Folder

11400 - 11409, 1958 

 9

11410 - 11418, 1958-1959 

 10

11419 - 11429, 1958 

 11

11430 - 11435, 1958 

 12

11436 - 11440, 1958 

 13

11441 - 11447, 1958 

 14

11447A - 11452, 1958 

 15

11453 - 11455, 1958 

 16

11476 - 11479 1959 

 17

11480 - 11489, 1959 

 18

11490 - 11499, 1959 

 19

11500 - 11505, 1959 

 20

11507 - 11511, 1959 

 21

11512 - 11518, 1959 

 22

11523 - 11525, 1960 

 23

11651 - 11653, 1962 

 24

11655 - 11659, 1962 

 25

11660A - 11665, 1962 

 26

11666 - 11673, 1962 

 27

11674 - 11678, 1962 

 28

11679 - 11682, 1962 

 29

11719 - 11720, 1967 

 30

12000 - 12057, 1965 

 31

12059 - 12062, 1965-1966 

 32

12063 - 12067, 1966 

 33

12068 - 12070, 1966 

 34

12101 - 12104, 1967 

 35

12105 - 12107, 1967 

 36

12071 - 12108, 1966-1967 

 37

12109 - 12111, 1968 

 38

12112 - 12114, 1968 

 39

12116 - 12120, 1968 

 40

12/14310 - 12/32075, 1964-1968 

 41

Unnumbered, undated 

 42

Incomplete, 11388, 21833, 7014, 1958-1965 

 43
Box Folder

Pattern Book, undated 

 1 54
Folder Folder

Pattern Book, undated 

 1 55
Box Folder

Pattern Book, undated 

 2 56
Volume

Pattern Book, undated 

 6

Pattern Book, undated 

 7
Folder

Sketches, undated 

 8
Box

Patterns, undated, 1955-1961 

 45

Patterns, undated, 1955-1957 

 46

Patterns, undated, 1964-1966 

 47

Return to Table of Contents »

Series V: Photographs, undated, 1983 
Box

Photographs (14 items showing scenes of staff, production and products), undated, 1983 

 44

Return to Table of Contents »