The Textile Machine Works began as a braiding machines repair and replacement company for German imported equipment, but they began building their own braiding machines in late 1892. During the 1900s, the company assembled the first American full-fashioned knitting machine. Production increased from about 100 per year in 1912 to more than 1,000 per year by 1926, as the market for full-fashioned hosiery expanded. The Textile Machine Works was founded by Henry Janssen (1866-1948) and Ferdinand Thun (1866-1949) on July 5, 1892, in Reading, Pennsylvania. This small collection consists of two publications, both related to the "Reading" knitting machine. One is titled The "Reading" Full-Fashioned Knitting Machine parts catalog and the other is titled T.M.W. Erector's Bulletin. The materials in the collection date from 1929 to 1956, with the majority of the items dating from the 1930s and 1940s.