Cuba Material collection · Colección Cuba Material

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Invisible (concealed) zipper, light blue

Object/Artifact

A single closed-end zipper in light blue / turquoise, shown coiled in two views. It is of the concealed ("invisible") type, in which the spiral coil is set behind the tape so that, when sewn into a garment, only a fine seam line shows. The narrow woven tape carries a continuous synthetic coil along one edge; a small moulded slider with a short, plain pull-tab sits near the lower (closed) end, and a metal bottom stop terminates the coil. The upper ends of the tape are cut and unfinished (open at the top).The zipper looks salvaged from a garment.

2025.1.96

Kept by Gertrudis Caraballo Gálvez with many other zippers.

The Cabrera Arús family collection

Gertrudis Caraballo Gálvez collecition

2025.1

Date Circa late 20th century (undetermined). Based on the synthetic coil construction and concealed design, which became common in home and commercial sewing in the later 20th century; no datable marks are present.

Materials Synthetic textile tape (likely polyester or nylon); synthetic (nylon) coil; moulded plastic slider and pull; metal bottom stop.

Good

Gertrudis Caraballo Gálvez

owner

Havana

Cuba

Caribbean

Central America

preservation

Zippers, thread, buttons, and similar haberdashery carried particular significance in the Cuban context, where shortages of ready-made clothing and imported goods made home sewing, mending, and the reuse of components an essential household practice. Sewing supplies were frequently stockpiled, traded, and reused.