The photographs consist of images related to the Joseph Bancroft & Sons textile mills in the Rockford and, later, Kentmere areas on the banks of the Brandywine River. These images include plant exteriors and interiors, officials and employees, aerials, workers' housing, machinery, floods, and dams and races on Brandywine Creek. One notable sketch of the property was done by Richard Rummel. Also included are two schematic plans documenting all the plant operations at Rockford and Kentmere (1961). Some views include the Brandywine Granite Company quarry which was on the opposite bank of the Brandywine. There is one mechanical drawing from Rice, Barton & Fales, Inc. of the ventilated dry tower of a textile printing machine. There are Wilmington plant site plans of the "Layout of Mill Supply & Fire Distribution Water Supply from Filters and Reservoirs" (1961) and "Property of Joseph Bancroft & Sons for proposed sale and leaseback" (1962).

Additional material consists of items related to the Eddystone, Pennsylvania, plant which Bancroft & Sons acquired by absorbing Eddystone Manufacturing Company. The factory was originally constructed in 1874. The following contents are included: photos of awards which the Eddystone Mfg. Co. received at several world's fairs; exterior and interior views of the Eddystone plant including a lithographic sketch of the plant by Frederich Falls (circa 1895); studio portraits of elderly employees who worked for Garner & Company in Reading before the Bancroft take-over; photographs and some originals (lithography by F. Morse, Philadelphia) of nineteenth century textile labels (from Wm. Simpson & Sons and other companies: Atlantic De Laine Co., Niagara Co., Thornton Print Works showing textile mills); original textile tags mounted on board from Washington Prints, Gloucester, New Jersey) which were probably attached to bolts of cloth; textile tags from Gobelin Art Drapery [Co.] and a small fabric swatch; a small engraving labeled "Foxhill Bank Works Lancashire" [England] showing the exterior of a textile mill; some oversize materials relate to the Washington Print Works, the earlier Simpson plant on the Schuykill. There is an undated Hexamer insurance survey of the Schuykill plant.

The smallest portion of the collection contains images related to the Reading, Pennsylvania, cotton mill. This site, which originally was the Reading Cotton Mill, was owned by Garner & Company of New York from 1861 until it was absorbed by Bancroft. There are some views of the block long factory and studio portraits of elderly employees with long service with Garner & Company.