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San-KNIT-ary Textile Mills Records
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Held at: Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
Simon Muhr started the small Philadelphia family business that would eventually be called San-KNIT-ary Texile Mills under an unknown name. The first reference in the collection to the company is the sale of 30 shares for $3,000 cash by Simon Muhr on February 3, 1879 in the Philadelphia Straw Braid Sewing Machine Company. By the early years of the century, the company was known as Unique Textile Mills. On June 6, 1907, Unique Textile Mills' name was officially changed to San-KNIT-ary Textile Mills.
Muhr had borrowed so much money from his sister that she became the chief stockholder upon his death in 1935. The company then passed to her son, Paul Dalsimer, in the 1940s. When Paul died in 1987, his sons Walter and Jean Paul inherited the controlling shares. Jean Paul Dalsimer became active in the company in 1982 and continued as president until its liquidation in 1988.
The company produced many textiles such as washcloths, towels, razor wipes, filters, camouflage materials during World War II, pajama girdles, and shoe cleaners in its factory on Lena Street in northern Philadelphia. Shoe cleaners, personalized with a company logo, were sold to hotels and motels. From mid-1970s until mid-1980s San-KNIT-ary had an exclusive arrangement with the Marriott chain of hotels. The business was liquidated in 1988.
This collection covers the years 1879 to 1989, with the bulk of material dating from the late 1930s through the 1980s. Financial records comprise over one-half of the collection, and include financial statements, federal, state, and city tax returns, and client and general ledgers. Administrative records contain the company's by-laws and minutes of the Board of Directors and Stockholders' meetings, as well as records related to the company's sale and liquidation in 1988. Also included are several photographs of the interior of the textile mill in 1985. Absent from the collection are any significant correspondence files with clients or vendors.
Series 2: Administration, 1895-1988
Series 3: Memorabilia, undated
Series 4: Photographs, 1895
Donated by John Dalsimer in October 1999.
Finding aid revised according to contemporary archival standards in June 2015.
Photographs have been removed to the Miscellaneous Photograph Collection (PC-49).
Subject
Place
- Publisher
- Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center
- Finding Aid Author
- Machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan, Sky Global Services India (P) Ltd.
- Finding Aid Date
- May 2024
- Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Use Restrictions
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The San-KNIT-ary Texile Mills Records are the physical property of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. Intellectual property rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of right holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.
Collection Inventory
Series 1: Financial, 1937-1938, includes monthly cash disbursements; monthly accounts receivable; investment statements (includes Advest); quarterly balance sheets and general ledger, organized by fiscal year; input to financial statements, organized by fiscal year; journal entries (July 1987-liquidation); Philadelphia tax returns; federal tax returns; Pennsylvania tax returns (many tax return folders include correspondence pertaining to tax filing problems); preferred stock certificates (bound); common stock certificates (bound); client ledger (arranged alphabetically by client name, date coverage for each client varies); inventory report (bound); price lists; general ledger (bound); and fiscal year financial reports.
Series 2: Administration, 1895-1988, includes deeds (which also includes one lease between San-KNIT-ary and Andrews, Inc. in 1988); liquidation documents (1983-1988); bylaws (missing 1977-78, 1980-81, 1983, and 1987), board of director minutes and annual shareholder meeting minutes; sale of Lena Street building; buildings; study for the use of a personal computer; sale of business to Sherman Manufacturing (includes contract for sale of business and related correspondence). Bylaws, Board of Director Minutes and Annual Shareholder meeting minutes are grouped together, rather than foldered separately according to activity, to preserve original order: these items were removed from three-ring binders where they were grouped together and arranged chronologically. This subseries ranges from 1938-1988 but is not complete. Study for the Use of a Personal Computer includes a succinct but useful history of the company and provides an overview of the finances, operations and systems of San-KNIT-ary circa 1984.
Series 3: Memorabilia, is Comprised of shoe cleaner samples from the Plaza Towers, the Red Apple Inn and Executive Conference Center, and the Navigator Inn.
Series 4: Photographs, 1895, includes six photographs, two copies each, of the San-KNIT-ary factory interior, including workers. The photographs are dated 1985. Photographs have been removed to the Miscellaneous Photograph Collection (PC-49).