London Hosiery Mills “Internal Rules & Regulations”
Datec. 1915
Dimensions35.6 × 25.6 cm (14 × 10 1/16 in.)
Credit LineGift of Margaret Anne Baumbach, London, Ontario, 2022.
Object number2022.003.002
Label TextThe early 20th century produced a boom in the garment industry in London, Ontario, as five mills opened producing hosiery and undergarments to be sold worldwide: Holeproof Hosiery Company, Penman’s Limited, Richmond Hosiery (formerly Teasdale Company), Supersilk Hosiery Mills, and London Hosiery Mills. The garments became fashionable for a number of reasons including increased prosperity and advertisements, the need for more practical clothing to drive automobiles, and technological advancements allowing for silk and other fabrics to be more accessible. The London Hosiery Mills was established in 1915 by R.L. Baker. It was located near the CPR tracks on Adelaide Street and by 1930 the mill employed about 255 predominantly female workers. They specialized in seamless hosiery, producing upward of 150,000 garments per year which were mostly sold to Canadian buyers. The date assigned to this poster stems from the rules around smoking it outlines. It states smoking can take place in the men’s dressing room but makes no mention of where women were permitted to smoke. In the early 20th century, women’s public smoking was not condoned. After the First World War (1914-1918) and later, this social taboo began to disappear.
NameSign, Instructional
c. 1890
