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Munsingwear
Munsingwear Advertisement, c.1919. Munsingwear, Inc. Corporate Records, 1887-1995. Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
When George D. Munsing came to Minnesota in 1886 to produce a new line of woolen union suits, he founded an underwear empire. While selling everything from long johns to girdles, the Minnesota company urged generations of consumers, "don't say Underwear, say Munsingwear."
Union suits like those that Munsing planned to produce were not new. The one-piece suit of long underwear became popular in the 1860s and was essential for those who lived and worked in cold climates. Although woolen underwear was warm, it was often itchy. George Munsing developed a method for silk-plating wool. He knitted a layer of silk over the surface of wool fabric. The resulting underwear was as warm as wool but much more comfortable.
In 1887, Munsing founded the Northwestern Knitting Company with Frank H. Page and Edward O. Tuttle. In its early years, the company's production was slow and it was difficult to meet the orders that were received. However, the business grew quickly with the help of investments from Minneapolis businessmen, including Charles Pillsbury and Thomas Lowry.
As production increased, employee working conditions declined. In 1888, journalist Eva McDonald overheard women complaining about factory conditions. McDonald wrote exposés for the St. Paul Globe as "Eva Gay." One of her articles called attention to Northwest Knitting's unfair labor practices and worker abuses. At the same time, growing unrest among garment workers nationally prompted the company to make changes. It constructed a new fireproof factory and made improvements to address labor concerns.
In 1897, the Northwestern Knitting Company made advertising history. Its Ladies' Home Journal advertisement featured a young girl wearing a union suit. Advertisements had never before shown the company's underwear on a live model. The bold advertising strategy was effective. Sales boomed and the company grew rapidly. By 1900, the Northwestern Knitting Company sold eighty styles of long underwear. By 1917, it was producing thirty thousand garments per day.
In 1904, Northwestern Knitting began constructing a new factory. The new complex, completed in 1915, spanned a city block. The company soon had a new name as well. In 1919, the company renamed itself Munsingwear in honor of founder George D. Munsing.
By 1920, Munsingwear employed some three thousand workers, 85 percent of whom were female. That made Munsingwear Minnesota's largest employer of women. Munsingwear employees were called Munsingites, and they had an active social community. Workers started musical groups, social clubs, and sports teams. Munsingwear also encouraged employee literacy. In 1911, it partnered with Minneapolis librarian Gratia Countryman to open a library branch in the factory.
Still, life as a Munsingite wasn't easy. Working days were long and the machinery was dangerous. The company gave preferential treatment to American-born workers, and managers favored Scandinavians over other immigrant groups. Munsingwear management also worked to prevent employees from joining unions. Nevertheless, Munsingwear was ahead of many other companies in offering free medical and dental care to employees. Many Munsingites spent their entire careers working through the ranks of the factory, and some were fiercely loyal to the company.
Changes in fashion and central heating made long-underwear sales decline, but Munsingwear adapted. It established a design department in 1920 and promoted its products as the latest fashion. In the early 1930s, Munsingwear introduced a line of girdles called "Foundettes." The product took off and was key to Munsingwear's survival during the Great Depression.
While Munsingwear was known for a wide range of undergarments, the factory produced other items as well. During both World Wars, the Munsingwear factory made clothing as well as bandages and other medical products. In 1958, Munsingwear created the wool-cotton blend fabric that was used in hot-pack polio treatment at the Sister Kenney Institute.
In the 1950s, the postwar consumer boom was good to Munsingwear. It introduced new clothing lines, including Hollywood Vassarette lingerie and Grand Slam golf shirts. However, declining business in the 1970s led to the plant's closure in 1981.
The vacant Munsingwear factory on Minneapolis's North Side was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It reopened in 1985 as the International Market Square. In 2002, the Original Penguin brand was re-released. It featured the original Munsingwear penguin logo on a line of vintage style sportswear. Both the building and the Penguin brand stand as reminders of nearly a century of Munsingwear innovation in Minnesota.

Bibliography
Anderson, Marcia G. "Munsingwear: An Underwear for America." Minnesota History 50, no. 4 (Winter 1986): 152–161.
http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/50/v50i04p152-161.pdf
Marks, Susan. In the Mood for Munsingwear: Minnesota's Claim to Underwear Fame. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2011.
Roberts, Kate.Minnesota 150: The People, Places, and Things That Shape Our State. St Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2007.
Swanson, Evadene Burris. "Don't say 'Underwear,' Say 'Munsingwear'." Hennepin County History 45, no. 4 (Winter 1987): 3–19.
Related Resources
Primary
Edgar, William C. "The Song of Munsingwear." In Minneapolis Golden Jubilee, 1867–1917: A History of Fifty Years of Civic and Commercial Progress, 56–59. Minneapolis: Tribune Job Printing Company, 1917.
Munsingwear, Inc. Corporate Records, 1887–1995.
Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
http://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00206.xml
Description: Contains corporate records and correspondence, sales materials, advertising and promotional text and images, and copies of employee newsletters.
McDonald, Eva, "Eva Gay's Travels." St. Paul Globe, May 6, 1888.
Munsingwear, Inc. The Curtain Rises in Munsingwear Modes, 192?.
Munsingwear, Inc. Employees' Mutual Benefit Association, Constitution and By-Laws, January, 1936.
How Munsingwear Makes Underwear. Minneapolis: The Munsingwear Corporation, N.p.
Putting Munsingwear Quality into Hosiery. Minneapolis: The Munsingwear Corporation, N.p.
The Success of Well Doing. Minneapolis: The Munsingwear Corporation, 1921.
Secondary
Boehlke, Heidi L. "Ruth M. Kapinas, Munsingwear's Forgotten 'Foundettes' Designer." Dress 20 (1993): 45–52.
Olsson, Lars. "Evelina Johansdotter, Textile Workers, and the Munsingwear Family: Class, Gender, and Ethnicity in the Political Economy of Minnesota at the End of World War I." In Swedes in the Twin Cities: Immigrant Life and Minnesota's Urban Frontier, edited by Philip V. Anderson and Dag Blanck, 77-90. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2001.
Saiki, Diana and Marilyn Revell DeLong. "Minnesota Manufacturing from Storm Coats to Tricot Knit Underwear: B.W. Harris Manufacturing Company, Inc and Munsingwear, Inc." In Minnesota Creates: Fashion for a Century, Marilyn Revell DeLong, Editor, 51-60. St. Paul: Goldstein Museum of Design, University of Minnesota, 2000.
The Story of Munsingwear, 1886–1961. Minneapolis: Munsingwear, Inc, 1961.
Web
Minnesota Historical Society. Placeography. International Market Square.
http://www.placeography.org/index.php/International_Market_Square,_275_Market_Street,_Minneapolis,_Minnesota
McShannock, Linda. "Don't Say Underwear, Say Munsingwear." Collections Up Close Podcast and Blog. Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, May 5, 2011.
http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/2011/05/dont-say-underwear-say-munsingwear/
McShannock, Linda. "Underwear!" Collections Up Close Podcast and Blog. Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, June 23, 2009.
http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/2009/06/underwear/
"Knitting Machine from the Munsingwear Factory." Collections Up Close Podcast and Blog. Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul , March 29, 2011.
http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/2011/03/knitting-machine-from-the-munsingwear-factory/
"Munsingwear Loungewear Ensemble." Collections Up Close Podcast and Blog. Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, May 4, 2011.
http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/2011/05/munsingwear-loungewear-ensemble/
Strom, Sehri. "1964 Hollywood Vassarette Munsingwear Sales Promotion Kit." Collections Up Close Podcast and Blog. Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, June 24, 2011.
http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/2011/06/1964-hollywood-vassarette-munsingwear-sales-promotion-kit/
"Vassarette Bra, Girdle and Half-Slip." Collections Up Close Podcast and Blog. Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, May 5, 2011.
http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/2011/05/vassarette-bra-girdle-and-half-slip/
Related Audio
MN90: Itchless Underwear
MN90: Minnesota History in 90 Seconds
Minneapolis-based Munsingwear cornered the union suit market in the early 1900s and went on to become the largest underwear company in the world. MN90 producer Marisa Helms tells us that Munsingwear’s rise to under garment dominance all started with the invention of “itchless wool,” a revolution in its time.
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Munsingwear Advertisement
Munsingwear Advertisement, c.1919. Munsingwear, Inc. Corporate Records, 1887-1995. Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
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Munsingwear Advertisement from Ladies' Home Journal
Munsingwear Advertisement from Ladies' Home Journal, 1897.
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Union suit
Men's full length Munsingwear union suit, 1890. The union suit is knit of a wool and cotton blend and has long sleeves, a high neck, full open front with twelve white buttons, and a back flap. The suit's knit cuffs are sewn to each sleeve and leg opening.
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Parade float in Oklahoma displaying Munsingwear union suits
Parade float in Oklahoma displaying Munsingwear union suits, c.1908.
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Munsingwear Advertisement, featuring women's underwear
Munsingwear Advertisement, featuring women's underwear, 1920s.
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Munsingwear advertising 'painting'
Munsingwear advertising painting, 1914.
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Employees of the Northwestern Knitting Company, makers of Munsingwear, grouped in front of the Mammoth Modern Model Munsingwear Mills, Lyndale and Western Avenues, Minneapolis
Employees of the Northwestern Knitting Company, makers of Munsingwear, grouped in front of the Mammoth Modern Model Munsingwear Mills, Lyndale and Western Avenues, Minneapolis, 1912.
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Interior views, Munsingwear Knitting Mills, Minneapolis.
Woman at Munsingwear knitting machine, undated.
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Women at knitting machines, Munsingwear Corporation, Minneapolis
Women at knitting machines, Munsingwear Corporation, Minneapolis, 1920. Photograph by C. J. Hibbard.
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Women sewing, Munsingwear Corporation, Minneapolis
Women sewing, Munsingwear Corporation, Minneapolis, 1920. Photograph by C. J. Hibbard.
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Bra and girdle for Victory promotion
Brassiere and Girdle styled with American Flag pattern made by the Vassar Company to promote Munsingwear's war work, c.1942.
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Munsingwear display briefs
Light yellow women's brief-style underpants with a self-lined crotch, cuffs at leg openings, and an elastic waistband, 1960. Intended for display only and not to be sold or worn by a person.
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Turning Point
In 1886, George D. Munsing moves to Minnesota and founds the Northwestern Knitting Company to produce his patented silk-plated underwear. The company, later renamed Munsingwear, would become one of the largest clothing manufacturers in the nation.
Chronology
1886
1887
1891
1904
1919
1932
1955
1981
1985
Bibliography
Anderson, Marcia G. "Munsingwear: An Underwear for America." Minnesota History 50, no. 4 (Winter 1986): 152–161.
http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/50/v50i04p152-161.pdf
Marks, Susan. In the Mood for Munsingwear: Minnesota's Claim to Underwear Fame. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2011.
Roberts, Kate.Minnesota 150: The People, Places, and Things That Shape Our State. St Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2007.
Swanson, Evadene Burris. "Don't say 'Underwear,' Say 'Munsingwear'." Hennepin County History 45, no. 4 (Winter 1987): 3–19.
Related Resources
Primary
Edgar, William C. "The Song of Munsingwear." In Minneapolis Golden Jubilee, 1867–1917: A History of Fifty Years of Civic and Commercial Progress, 56–59. Minneapolis: Tribune Job Printing Company, 1917.
Munsingwear, Inc. Corporate Records, 1887–1995.
Manuscript Collection, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul
http://www2.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00206.xml
Description: Contains corporate records and correspondence, sales materials, advertising and promotional text and images, and copies of employee newsletters.
McDonald, Eva, "Eva Gay's Travels." St. Paul Globe, May 6, 1888.
Munsingwear, Inc. The Curtain Rises in Munsingwear Modes, 192?.
Munsingwear, Inc. Employees' Mutual Benefit Association, Constitution and By-Laws, January, 1936.
How Munsingwear Makes Underwear. Minneapolis: The Munsingwear Corporation, N.p.
Putting Munsingwear Quality into Hosiery. Minneapolis: The Munsingwear Corporation, N.p.
The Success of Well Doing. Minneapolis: The Munsingwear Corporation, 1921.
Secondary
Boehlke, Heidi L. "Ruth M. Kapinas, Munsingwear's Forgotten 'Foundettes' Designer." Dress 20 (1993): 45–52.
Olsson, Lars. "Evelina Johansdotter, Textile Workers, and the Munsingwear Family: Class, Gender, and Ethnicity in the Political Economy of Minnesota at the End of World War I." In Swedes in the Twin Cities: Immigrant Life and Minnesota's Urban Frontier, edited by Philip V. Anderson and Dag Blanck, 77-90. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2001.
Saiki, Diana and Marilyn Revell DeLong. "Minnesota Manufacturing from Storm Coats to Tricot Knit Underwear: B.W. Harris Manufacturing Company, Inc and Munsingwear, Inc." In Minnesota Creates: Fashion for a Century, Marilyn Revell DeLong, Editor, 51-60. St. Paul: Goldstein Museum of Design, University of Minnesota, 2000.
The Story of Munsingwear, 1886–1961. Minneapolis: Munsingwear, Inc, 1961.
Web
Minnesota Historical Society. Placeography. International Market Square.
http://www.placeography.org/index.php/International_Market_Square,_275_Market_Street,_Minneapolis,_Minnesota
McShannock, Linda. "Don't Say Underwear, Say Munsingwear." Collections Up Close Podcast and Blog. Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, May 5, 2011.
http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/2011/05/dont-say-underwear-say-munsingwear/
McShannock, Linda. "Underwear!" Collections Up Close Podcast and Blog. Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, June 23, 2009.
http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/2009/06/underwear/
"Knitting Machine from the Munsingwear Factory." Collections Up Close Podcast and Blog. Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul , March 29, 2011.
http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/2011/03/knitting-machine-from-the-munsingwear-factory/
"Munsingwear Loungewear Ensemble." Collections Up Close Podcast and Blog. Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, May 4, 2011.
http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/2011/05/munsingwear-loungewear-ensemble/
Strom, Sehri. "1964 Hollywood Vassarette Munsingwear Sales Promotion Kit." Collections Up Close Podcast and Blog. Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, June 24, 2011.
http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/2011/06/1964-hollywood-vassarette-munsingwear-sales-promotion-kit/
"Vassarette Bra, Girdle and Half-Slip." Collections Up Close Podcast and Blog. Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, May 5, 2011.
http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/2011/05/vassarette-bra-girdle-and-half-slip/