To appreciate the importance of this little tricotin,
we go back a little into the history of Roubaix, France.
Roubaix, in the region Nord Pas de Calais, became
a city with a booming textile and wool industry in the
19th century. There were 200 mills operating
around the city.
Around the 1920's a catalogue/mail-order
industry developed selling wools, patterns,
etc.
Because the town was still reeling from the
effects of WWI, one part of the plan
to get the wool industry back on its feet
was a promotional campaign - our
little "La Redoute" tricotin was offered
in these catalogues and sample leaflets
to help to sell more wool.
We find this tricotin still available
over time up to the 1950's.
In the 1960's onwards, the industry suffered
a decline being due to cheap imports which
also affected the British industry.
The 1970's up to the 2000's there were
thousands of job losses and buildings became
derelict.
However, Roubaix has now been "reborn" and
today we find, among others, fashion houses,
fashion and textile designers, marketing and
communications and home shopping companies,
and engineering colleges and teaching centres.
La Redoute district in the city
of Roubaix, is now an
important mail-order
of Roubaix, is now an
important mail-order
centre (La Redoute-Redcats, Damart,
Camaïeux and Phildar)
and also the "3 Suisses" wool company
is still in operation, creating wools, patterns,
catalogues, etc.
So, this little tricotin with its
important role in advertising,
is an extremely
collectible spoolknitter to look out for!
>>>>o<<<<
