Floyd County Carnegie Library Cultural Arts Center

    201 East Spring Street
    New Albany, IN 47150
    (812) 944-7336
    Website: fcculturalartscenter.org Facebook: Facebook.com/nacarnegie  Instagram: @carnegie_cac
    Hours: Monday – Thursday 10am-7pm, Friday – Saturday 10am-5pm

     

    Threads of Industry: Labor and Life in New Albany’s Textile Factories

    Dates: September 4 2025 – January 31, 2026

    Events: Opening Reception September 4th, 5-7pm

    Threads of Industry: Labor and Life in New Albany’s Textile Factories explores the rise and fall of New Albany, Indiana’s textile and garment industries through historic photographs and artifacts from the Floyd County Library’s collection. From the early days of the New Albany Woolen Mills in the 1860s to the garment factories that bolstered the local economy for much of the 20th century, the exhibit traces how these industries shaped local life, especially for the many women who made up the workforce. It highlights key moments in local labor history, including a 1936 strike that prompted declaration of martial law, as well as everyday scenes of factory work in the decades that followed.Though the last clothing manufacturers closed by 2001, echoes of this industrial pastremain visible in the city’s historic factory buildings—some of which have found new life through preservation and reuse.

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.