Samuel Slater, The Father of American Manufacturers (Handkerchief)

Art Historical Context

This commemorative handkerchief, produced 1890 by theston Print Works Company, honors Samuel Slater, the English-born entrepreneur widely recognized as the “Father of American Manufacturers.” Slater’s importation of British textile machinery and factory methods in the 1790s helped launch the American Industrial Revolution, transforming small-scale craft production into large-scale manufacturing. By the late nineteenth century, his story had become a symbol of Yankee ingenuity and industrial progress, making him a fitting subject for popular printed goods. Measuring just over two feet square, ...