Episode 77—The Sacks That Spoke: Branding with Humble Textiles
This episode explores the importance of textiles in marketing and branding. The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, in Spokane, WA, houses a unique collection of over 150 cloth flour sacks, dating from 1900 to the 1940s, which showcase the evolution of flour packaging and its significance in regional and international trade. Beginning in the mid-1800s, Eastern Washington established itself a major wheat-growing area, at one time having over 100 mills shipping products around the globe. Learn about the vibrant designs tailored for markets in China, Japan, the Philippines, and El Salvador, and explore how these sacks were repurposed into household items during the Depression era. Staff member Ellen Postlewaite brings us the stories woven into these everyday objects and their role in Spokane's development as a major milling center.
SHOW NOTES
I encourage you to check out the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture’s website. If you click on the “Collections” tab, you can search the online collections to see examples of the flour sacks as well as other treasures owned and cared for by the museum.
Golden Harvest: Flour Sacks from the Permanent Collection: A description of the exhibition that was held at the museum in 2022.
Additional photos can be seen in this article on the Cascade PBS website.
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Janet Szabo’s website
Big Sky Knitting Designs website—Purchase digital copies of Janet’s knitting patterns and order copies of her books.
The ‘Suck It Up, Buttercup’ Blog—Janet’s commentary on life in Montana
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