Posted 10 years ago
Raestelle
(21 items)
I believe this fur stole is an important part of Americana history rather than a stole to be worn. I believe it is from A. Hollander & Sons, Newark, Delaware (founded around 1889), a furrier company that became widely popular because of their process of using less expensive furs at the time (like this raccoon) to create expensive looks. It's been stored in a lined red Borghese box for years which I believe helped retain it's good condition, especially for its age. It is still soft and silky. It is unlined (I do not know if it was ever lined). The sewing is a mixture of machine (straight lines) and hand sewing (mainly for the curvy out lines). I do not think that the two tags on each end are original tags. First, an original tag would probably at least have the furrier's mark, and second, blue ink pens weren't widely used until later (1940's or after?). I think the tags are more likely to be from an old thrift shop or something of that nature. I'm still doing research on it but there's only a limited amount of information online and I've found nothing to compare with this fur. I would like additional help in identifying age and any other pertinent information. Thanks for looking!