Smoky Mountains Hosiery Mills Photographs, 1939-1949

KC Manuscript Collection 550

 

INTRODUCTION

Title: Smoky Mountains Hosiery Mills Photographs, 1939-1949

Collection Number: Kingsport Community Manuscript Collection (KCMC) 550

Physical Description: One 34”x8” photograph and one 26”x8” photograph

Creator: Smoky Mountain Hosiery Mills

Repository: Archives of the City of Kingsport

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Provenance: The Smoky Mountains Hosiery Mills Photographs was donated to the Archives of the City of Kingsport by Dorothy B. Newsome (daughter of Raymond Bennett) in April, 2013.

Access/Restrictions: There are no restrictions on use of this collection for research purposes. The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Processed by: This collection was processed by Kari Roueche and opened for research in May, 2013.

COLLECTION CITATION

This collection should be cited as:

Smoky Mountains Hosiery Mills Photographs, 1939-1949. KC Manuscript Collection 550, Archives of the City of Kingsport, Tennessee.

BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL NOTE

The Smoky Mountain Hosiery Mills began operations in the former Kingsport Hosiery Mills location, 2117 Berry Street, in October of 1936. The brand name under which silk and nylon hosiery was produced was “Quaker.” George Goetsch was the manager and Ray Bennett was the superintendent of manufacturing.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

Two wide-framed photographs depict employees in an organized formation in front of the mill. The early photograph shows women in uniformed dresses and many male employees in overalls. The later photograph, taken in January, depicts employees wearing long winter coats. Raymond Bennett, the donor’s father, is easily seen seated center-left in the 1939 photograph and standing far left in the 1949 photograph.

SUBJECTS

Hosiery, Nylon

Hosiery, Silk

Hosiery workers

Kingsport, TN

Smoky Mountains Hosiery Mills (Kingsport, Tenn.)

Textile industry–Tennessee.

ARRANGEMENT

The two photographs are enclosed individually and housed in one flat folder.

BOX AND FOLDER LIST

1. Smoky Mountains Hosiery Mills employee portrait, December 7, 1939.

2. Smoky Mountains Hosiery Mills employee portrait, January, 1949.