Warning Sign, used in the Bates Mill, Lewiston, Maine, ca. 1950. Courtesy of the Museum L-A.
Warning Sign, used in the Bates Mill, Lewiston, Maine, ca. 1950. Courtesy of the Museum L-A.
Breathing cotton fibers sickened many textile workers. The fibers accumulated in workers' lungs, sometimes leading to Byssinoss, also known as Brown Lung Disease. Workers experienced shortness of breath, coughing, and chest tightness.
By the twentieth century, safety laws worked to protect textile workers. This sign hung in the Bates Mill in Lewiston, reminding workers to use a respirator for protection.