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Bookshop Genres Dry-Me-Dry: The Untold Story of the 'Amazing 3 Fibre Towel' by Sarah Horowitz
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Book details
  • Genre:ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES
  • SubGenre:Textiles & Costume
  • Language:English
  • Pages:158
  • Paperback ISBN:9781543934076

Dry-Me-Dry

The Untold Story of the 'Amazing 3 Fibre Towel'

by Sarah Horowitz

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View Back Cover
Overview
DRY-ME-DRY is a history of—and guide to—the remarkable Martex kitchen textile known as "the Amazing 3 Fibre Towel." Its patented cotton-rayon-linen blend became famous among American homemakers of the 1930s for lint-free absorption and speedy evaporation. In the 1950s, eye-popping graphics and a little marketing magic sealed their appeal. Decades later, these towels remain coveted by collectors for how modern they look and how well they work. DRY-ME-DRY is an essential reference work for collectors, dealers, and fans of vintage textiles and mid-century graphics.
Description

MODERN GRAPHICS ON FABRIC SO REVOLUTIONARY, IT'S PATENTED.

In the 1930s, Alabama textile firm West Point Manufacturing Company came up with a groundbreaking dish towel fabric that combined cotton and linen with rayon, a relatively new fiber. Dubbed "Martex Dry-Me-Dry: The Amazing 3 Fibre Towel," the patented blend became famous among American homemakers for its lint-free absorption and speedy evaporation.

In the 1950s, Martex Dry-Me-Dry dish towels got a facelift from industrial designers John and Earline Brice. Their bold designs in striking colors were a hit; two were even included in an exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Dry-Me-Dry: The Untold Story of the "Amazing 3 Fibre Towel" explains the history of these remarkable kitchen textiles and catalogs them for the first time ever. Listings include official pattern names, comprehensive colorways, original sizes, and clean, luscious images by renowned textile photographer Don Tuttle.

MARTEX DRY-ME-DRY DISH TOWELS 1935–1974           A HISTORY AND GUIDE

About the author

Sarah Horowitz holds a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University and has worked in the publishing industry since 1991 for such varied outlets as The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Outside magazine, and John Muir Publications. As a freelance writer, her work has appeared in such magazines as I.D., Chicago, and Metropolis, and she frequently contributes to Gardenista, a garden design and outdoor living blog. Sarah has collected Martex Dry-Me-Dry dish towels since 2001. She lives with her husband and son in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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