Finding aid for the National Knitted Outerwear Association, Cleveland District Records


Repository: Western Reserve Historical Society
Creator: Knitted Outerwear Association, Cleveland District
Title: National Knitted Outerwear Association, Cleveland District Records
Dates: 1950-1982
Extent: 0.20 linear feet (1 container)
Abstract: The National Knitted Outerwear Association, Cleveland District, was an organization of knitting mills in Cleveland, Ohio, originally affiliated with the National Association headquartered in New York City. In the 1930s, the Cleveland District withdrew from the National Association and ceased to exist, and local knitting mills joined the national organization as individual members. During this period, members also met locally. By 1960, the Cleveland group had re-affiliated with the national organization. The collection consists of minutes, correspondence, and newspaper clippings. The collection also contains questionnaires sent to various Cleveland mills in 1981 by David Reinthal, president of the Cleveland District, to document the history of the knitted garment industry in Cleveland. Information on the questionnaires includes dates of company founding, names of founders and successors, dates of company expansions and relocations, and product descriptions.
MS Number MS 4651
Location: closed stacks
Language: The records are in English

History of the National Knitted Outerwear Association, Cleveland District

The National Knitted Outerwear Association, Cleveland District (f.1912-ca.1990) was an organization of knitting mills in Cleveland, Ohio, affiliated with the National Association headquartered in New York, New York. In the mid-thirties the Cleveland District withdrew from the National Association and ceased to exist. Local knitting mills joined the National Association as individual members. During this period, these members also met locally. By 1960 the Cleveland group had re-affiliated with the national organization but the relationship remained problematic because of the national group's "lack of responsiveness". During the period 1950 to 1962 the group met regularly to discuss issues of mutual concern such as prices of machinery, labor negotiations, government orders, and in 1960, the impact of Japanese imports. At the same time the Association, through its Army Procurement Committee, worked with the government, testing and supplying goods for the military. The Association's Technical Committee, comprised of representatives of six mills, operated a textile testing lab.


Scope and Content

The National Knitted Outerwear Association, Cleveland District, Records, 1950-1982, consist of minutes, correspondence, and newspaper clippings. The collection also contains questionnaires sent to various Cleveland mills in 1981 by David Reinthal, president of the Cleveland District, to document the history of the knitted garment industry in Cleveland.

The collection is valuable to researchers interested in the history of the garment industry, in general, and the knitted wear industry in particular, in Cleveland, Ohio, from the early 20th century to 1981. Of particular interest are the history project questionnaires which include information such as the dates of company founding, the names of founders and successors, the dates of company expansions and re-locations, and product descriptions.


Statement of Arrangement

The collection is arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically.

Restrictions on Access

None.

Separated Material

Yearbooks of the National Association (1928,1931,1932) have been removed to the WRHS Library's book collection.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Clothing factories -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Clothing trade -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
Knit goods industry -- Ohio -- Cleveland.
National Knitted Outerwear Association Cleveland District.

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 4651 National Knitted Outerwear Association, Cleveland District Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

David Reinthal, 1992.

Processing Information

Processed by Marjorie R. Stern in 1993

Detailed Description of The Collection

National Knitted Outerwear Association, Cleveland District Records 1950-1982

Box Folder
1 1 Minutes 1950-1954 1956-1962
1 1 Newspaper clippings, Cleveland and national 1951-1981
1 2 Correspondence 1951-1962
1 2 History Project, A-Z, including questionnaires, correspondence, rosters of knitting mills and representatives 1981
1 2 Miscellaneous 1950-1982