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Original 50's, 60's leather master samples from OEM tannery.


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I need some input on what to do with a pile of the original leather master samples used in a local tannery in the 50's and 60's during the manufacture of the hides for many American cars. As a kid in the mid-60's I came across a huge pile of leather scraps at a local landfill that were thrown out by a tannery that was the supplier to the auto industry. In with the scraps were a bunch of 8" X 10" samples used as masters to compare the hides to. In other words, all the hides used in the autos were made to match these samples (color, grain, sheen, thickness, etc.). Some of the "normal" colors were used to patch my jeans (hey, it was the early 60's), but the bright colors or metallics were put in a box and forgot - for 35 years! Only a few are penciled on the back with something identifiable - like '57 Mercury - all have a 4 or 5 digit number that the tannery used. Without a master list of those numbers the samples can't be used as a final word on restorations. I contacted a few auto museums and archives and that's what they told me - (or looked at me like the RCA dog talking about something that doesn't exist). So give me some input. Be kind - I'm new at this computer stuff and only go on line 1 or 2 times a week. By the way, I'm not a novice at restoration - I've been restoring for Concours for 25 years - but only Jaguars. Unless you REALLY need an answer from me, just leave a posted reply. I'm not good on the keyboard either - it took 45 min. to peck this out.

Thanks, Phil.

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