Someone named Les Thein stenciled his name across the top of this sack in red paint, probably a grain dealer or farm operator marking his sacks so they'd come back to him. In the early 20th century, a good sack was worth returning. The name stayed. Everything else about his life is unknown.
Thein is a German-origin surname concentrated heavily in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Dakotas. A Les Thein farming or dealing grain somewhere in the grain belt in the 1920s–40s is entirely consistent with the sack's weight grade, the Bemis origin, and the wear pattern.
The sacks themselves are Bemis Bros. "A Seamless", woven on tubular looms without side seams, considered a premium product, and built to be worked hard and reused. Bemis was one of the largest bag manufacturers in the United States. The cotton dates to approximately the 1920s–1930s. The wear, the staining, the patina are all original. e.
Maxi coat. Wide collar. Tie closure. Two front pockets. Sewn slow.
+size: M–L /fits S oversized
+made with: 2 — Bemis "A Seamless" grain sacks / 100% cotton / USA / 1920s-40s
+sewn: 1/29–2/1/26 in Missoula, MT over 10 hours
+fyi:
best cared for by hand · machine wash cold on gentle cycle if needed
made from vintage materials · slight imperfections add to its story
the name LES.THEIN is original to the sack - applied by the owner, not added
Someone named Les Thein stenciled his name across the top of this sack in red paint, probably a grain dealer or farm operator marking his sacks so they'd come back to him. In the early 20th century, a good sack was worth returning. The name stayed. Everything else about his life is unknown.
Thein is a German-origin surname concentrated heavily in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Dakotas. A Les Thein farming or dealing grain somewhere in the grain belt in the 1920s–40s is entirely consistent with the sack's weight grade, the Bemis origin, and the wear pattern.
The sacks themselves are Bemis Bros. "A Seamless", woven on tubular looms without side seams, considered a premium product, and built to be worked hard and reused. Bemis was one of the largest bag manufacturers in the United States. The cotton dates to approximately the 1920s–1930s. The wear, the staining, the patina are all original. e.
Maxi coat. Wide collar. Tie closure. Two front pockets. Sewn slow.
+size: M–L /fits S oversized
+made with: 2 — Bemis "A Seamless" grain sacks / 100% cotton / USA / 1920s-40s
+sewn: 1/29–2/1/26 in Missoula, MT over 10 hours
+fyi:
best cared for by hand · machine wash cold on gentle cycle if needed
made from vintage materials · slight imperfections add to its story
the name LES.THEIN is original to the sack - applied by the owner, not added
