Item 8: Crabbing, 1952

Gelatin silver print. Image depicts a male employee standing by a crabbing machine. The "greige goods" referred to in the text simply means cloth that has come off the loom but has not yet been bleached or finished in any way. The steam is visible, as are the rollers through which the cloth is pulled. Text: "Crabbing. This process of passing greige goods through boiling water in open width under tension sets the warp and filling threads; thereby preventing the formation of cockles, creases, or other forms of uneven shrinkage in the finished fabric." 25 x 20.5 cm. (w/out mount); 27 x 20.5 cm. (w/mount).