Tools and Materials of the Arts and Crafts

Artists and craftsmen have exacting requirements for the quality and range of their tools and materials. These specialized products are most effectively merchandized and communicated through a physical sample. In particular, color precision and control are critical concerns for the individual craftsman and the graphic arts industry. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, science and industry joined forces to develop and improve the quality, standardization, and availability of such materials as paper and pigments, as well as craftsmen’s tools.



Catalogue: Dosco Needle Catalogue

Dosco was a major producer of sewing needles and other handwork tools, including crochet hooks, knitting needles, and safety pins. This catalogue, filled with actual examples of needlework tools, many in original packaging, was used to market Dosco products to American retailers such as Woolworths.

Catalogue: Dosco Needle Catalogue
Produced by Dosco
Germany (for export), first half of the 20th century
Printed paper, cardboard, metal, wood, cellophane, elastic; embossed paper-covered board
Smithsonian Institution Libraries, q 048754 CHMRB