The first notorious ad

The pin up ads actually got their start with an in-house beauty contest - Miss Springmaid - in 1947. The winners were taken to New York where they were sketched by leading illustrators, and the sketches were to be used in advertising.

By early 1948, Colonel Springs (a real colonel!), had remembered a cover of Esquire magazine which had three skaters warming themselves before a performance.  Springmaid acquired rights to that picture to use in advertising a fire-proofed fabric they had developed during the war.

It wasn't so much the picture that caused all the fuss - it was the ad copy.  Written by Colonel Springs, there were phrases such as "the false bottom and bust bucket business" and "be protected by the Springmaid label on the bottom of your trademark."

By September, the company was noticing copy-cat ads, and the furor died down somewhat.  In a September 1, 1948 memo, Col. Springs instructed the ad department to make a montage of the Springmaid girls.  It was to be used first for the jacket of the latest edition of Clothes Make the Man, and later to be printed on cloth.  "It will make a terrific bathing suit or beach jacket."

There were later prints made also, including one called Holiday, which had smaller girls and no stripes, and Harem, which had an Oriental flair. There is also a mention of a Persian print, but it could possibly be the same as Harem.

In June of 1951, the company built a new railroad terminal for their twenty-eight mile railroad which connected the two main factories in Chester and Lancaster, SC.  They got Gypsy Rose Lee to do the official unveiling.  She wore a dress designed by Carolyn Schnurer made from the Harem fabric.  Special men's sports shirts and billed caps were made from the same print, just for the occasion.

And inspired by Gussie Moran, famous panty-baring tennis star, the company released one of the prints as tennis and swim panties. They were made by Cole of California.

In 1951, a new Springs Mills office complex was built in Fort Mill, South Carolina.  Much of the furniture was fashioned from old mill parts, and the furniture was upholstered in the Springmaid Girl prints!

Colonel Springs was definitely doing something right.  His company has weathered the horrible times in the US textile industry, and is still producing textiles in Fort Mill, SC.  I'm also happy to report that there is an excellent record of the history of Springs Mills, with many of their papers in the archives at Duke University.

 

Above: Ad showing paper dolls with Holiday print clothes

Left: Press release photo from 1951 opening of the Lancaster and Chester Railway 

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