Documenting the Scranton Lace Company

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  • Pictured here are six women surrounded by stacks upon stacks of folded lace. Some of the women are working to add to these stacks. This image highlights the physical labor necessary for women at the Laceworks.

  • Here, a woman is pictured crafting lace by weaving fabric through a large net. There is another woman working closely behind her on the same net. These women were laborers at the Scranton Lace Factory.

  • This image of women working at the Scranton Lace Factory captures the labor of women during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The photograph, featuring Josephine DeRigge, Murial Bunce, Pearl Williams, and Catherine Hogan, shows them engaged in the process of lace production. Surrounded by spools of thread and lace patterns, their work highlights the tasks they performed and their critical role in industrial labor.

    The Scranton Lace Factory, established in 1890, was a key player in the American textile industry, known for its lace, curtains, and fabric goods. While the factory’s machinery symbolized industrial progress, it was the women who worked there who ensured its success. These women contributed to tasks such as threading, weaving, and inspecting lace for imperfections. This work required precision, patience, and steady hands; skills that women were valued for in the textile industry. Despite their importance, their wages were typically lower than those of their male counterparts, even though they performed equally demanding tasks.

    The factory was a major economic success in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and employed many women, often with limited other options for work. For most, employment at Scranton Lace was driven by economic necessity. As one of the few ways to earn a living wage, factory work was crucial for supporting families, particularly during economic hardships such as the Great Depression. In households where the male breadwinner’s income was insufficient or absent due to illness, injury, or other factors, women stepped in to ensure their families’ survival.

    The decision to work at Scranton Lace was also influenced by a sense of responsibility. Many women used their wages to help support their households. Young women often worked to contribute to their parents’ households, save for their futures, or pay for siblings’ education. The factory provided not just financial stability but also a sense of purpose in ensuring their families’ survival.

    While economic necessity was a primary motivator, working at Scranton Lace also offered women a degree of independence. It gave them an opportunity to take pride in their work and contribute to something larger than themselves. For some, the factory setting became a space for personal growth. It allowed women to socialize, form bonds with other workers, and build friendships. The camaraderie in the workplace was crucial as these women supported each other through long hours and demanding tasks.

    The labor environment at Scranton Lace was not without challenges. The factory was noisy, and the repetitive nature of the work made it physically demanding. Women spent long hours standing or sitting, performing intricate tasks that required constant focus. Despite these challenges, the women of Scranton Lace persisted, showing resilience and determination in the face of adversity.

    The rise of the labor movement in the early 20th century shaped the experiences of women workers at Scranton Lace. During this period, women became more active in advocating for better working conditions and fair wages. While unionization efforts were often unsuccessful, they marked an important step toward greater equity in the workplace. Women at Scranton Lace, like their peers across the nation, participated in these movements, fighting for better conditions and fair pay. This activism reflected broader societal shifts, as women began to demand a greater role in both the workplace and public life.

    The legacy of the women who worked at Scranton Lace extends beyond the factory. Their labor contributed to the factory’s success and had a lasting impact on their families and communities. By working in the factory, these women challenged traditional gender roles and reshaped societal expectations of women’s work. Their contributions helped pave the way for future generations of women to seek greater opportunities and equality in the workplace.

    Efforts to preserve the history of Scranton Lace, including photographic exhibitions and community initiatives, aim to honor the legacy of these women. Their stories are an essential part of the broader history of American industrial labor and women’s contributions to the workforce. The women of Scranton Lace remain emblematic of the resilience and strength of working-class Americans during the Industrial Revolution.

    In conclusion, the story of the Scranton Lace Factory is as much about the women who worked there as it is about the lace itself. Their contributions, sacrifices, and perseverance reflect a broader narrative of women’s labor history in the United States. These women not only helped shape the fabric of American industry but also played an important role in the cultural and social fabric of their communities. As we reflect on their legacy, we are reminded of the vital role women have played in shaping industries, communities, and the economic systems that define our nation.

  • The Scranton Tribune praises workers at the Lace Factory for their impressive mastery of lacemaking by stating, "On coming to Scranton, [Nottingham Lace Manufacturers] brought with them some of the most skilled lacemakers in the world."

  • This 48-page document gives an overview of the history of lace generally and the specific achievements of the Scranton Lace Company in its first 50 years in operation. This document represents a time before the fall of the lace industry in Scranton. It is noteworthy because it subtly hints towards the social acceptance of child labor in this century, as seen in an image on page 14. The document mostly focuses on the three generations of management but also highlights employees and products.

    Lacemaking is a tradition rooted in craftsmanship that has existed for over 2,000 years, dating back to thread embroidery corselets used by the Egyptians in 550 B.C.E. Thread embroidery morphed into the production and design of lace. The lace produced by the Scranton Lace Factory relied on the methods employed by 15th century practitioners, namely cutwork, drawnwork, and darned nettings. Lacework was at times prohibited to be sold to common people and was only available to elites and aristocrats. Women became the main laborers of intricate lace, and nuns were responsible for many of the lasting lace artifacts.

    Once clear glass became conventionally installed in windows in the end of the 18th century, lace curtain demand grew. To fill orders, expansion of producing lace by machine became necessary. One of the first documented attempts at mechanically produced lace was between 1760 and 1778. Once the jacquard (a type of cloth with a pattern woven into it) was able to be added to the loom, the product known as Nottingham Lace emerged. Nottingham lace, originating in Nottingham, England, soon became popular in the United States. The lace was imported, but eventually the demand grew and labor in Nottingham was unable to meet the orders needed to be filled. A request for a new company in the United States was proposed and accepted. Plans began for a company to be placed in Scranton, PA due to the abundance of cheap energy in coal and its strong labor force.

    The initial name of this company was Scranton Lace Curtain Manufacturing Company; it was financially unsuccessful. But local businessmen bound together to reinvest and redevelop this industry in the hopes of its future success. A charter under the name Scranton Lace Curtain Company was born. By 1905, plant expansion was necessary due to the volume of sales. In 1907, the Company left the commission house it sold under and managed sales themselves. In 1914, the Company began selling to department stores directly in addition to the main market of bulk sales to distributors. In 1916, the sales name and company name merged to the Scranton Lace Company. In 1927 the Clock Tower was erected, and in the same year the 34 School was purchased by the Company, as the residential population was decreasing as industry boomed.

    The Company remained profitable during the Great Depression. In 1937, the President launched an operation to increase volume of production to lower operation costs. 8 new looms were erected, which was expected to result in a 15% increase in production, with subsequent additions planned in several years. New weaving and receiving buildings were erected on Glenn Street. The Company stopped its sales of bedspreads and sold the machinery to make room for more lace manufacturing. During World War Two (WW2), the machinery was modified to serve military needs. First, the Company began producing mosquito netting. Then, the Company shifted to human parachutes, mine carriers, and finally reconditioned steel ammunition boxes. Post WW2, what was once parachute manufacturing became window curtains.

    One instance of interesting word choice in the document is referring to the executive management group as the “executive family”. The “executive family” managed their 1,100 employees. The Company did have many long lasting employees, as this publication boasted that 421 staff members had been employed at the Company for over 10 years. The Company claimed to have “maintained a cordial relationship with employees… by [high] wage rates… paid vacation, group insurance, and annual profit sharing”(Our First Fifty Years…) In addition to the financial incentives, the Company highlighted working conditions, stating, “lighting, heating, cleanliness, restrooms, showers have constant attention…employee club house [contains] a gymnasium, cafeteria, bowling alley… and music room” (Our First Fifty Years…). There was an effort to keep engagement in sports high in the workplace, as employee committees were established to maintain these traditions.

    People bought Scranton Lace because owning the material represented a class distinction, as the history of lace was one where it was kept to the elite class. It represented values of American success in industry and labor, as its public image of successful sports teams and employee retention built it into a positive landmark of Scranton. The Company capitalized on community, evident as early as 1927 when they added the Clocktower that would become a preserved monument even as the site leaves its industrial and returns to becoming a residential area once again.

  • Due to encroachment of industry, many families left the area and homes were demolished. With decreasing student population, the school decided to plan to move. The space was sold as the school began a three-year move to a new location for the school, with the understanding that the space could not be used by the Factory until the new school was in operation.

  • At this point the Factory employed around a thousand employees and sold to over 9,300 retailers.

  • 10 male workers with their names being legible on the bottom of the image. A sign behind them reads "Janitor Service". There aren't any young children or teenagers in this cohort, and their work attires vary.

  • Three women smile while inspecting the lace and materials in font of them to make sure that the lace was made correctly. According to the picture the women are Charlote Mack, Janet Tapp, and Isabel Macksutis.

  • This collaged shot shows the Scranton Lace Factory in the existing context of the site. This shot predates the large clocktower, which was added to the Factory in 1927.
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