Hagley Museum in Wilmington, DE has some coated canvas fabrics in sample books (early Dupont materials) that I think would have been upholstery material. If memory serves me, these were nylon coated, faux leather fabrics. They also have some fabrics that are early attempts at water proofing-- but different than the faux leather. You might contact them -- the materials I saw during a survey were in good condition, being somewhat protected in the books. So if a match to yours you could see a sample close to original appearance. If you find a good match to the canvas (TestFabrics has several weights) you may be able to produce the color and finish with roller or spray paint, then top coat to get desired gloss. Kathy Francis Francis Textile Conservation LLC -----Original Message----- From: Ann Frisina <[log in to unmask]> To: TEXCONS <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Fri, Feb 15, 2013 3:34 pm Subject: Re: Fire truck upholstery Peggy I have seen this fabric on many items. I do not know what the coating is. However, I do believe the coating was applied to simulate leather rather than waterproof. Let us know what you find. Best Ann Frisina On Fri, Feb 15, 2013 at 12:04 PM, Peggy Derrick <[log in to unmask]> wrote: The La Crosse County Historical Society would like to reupholster the seat on its 1922 American La France fire truck and I am trying to determine what the original fabric was, and what is my best option for a correct replacement. At first I thought it was upholstered in black leather, but upon examination I realized I was looking at a heavy woven cotton with a surface treatment to make it black and waterproof. The fabric itself is not in terrible shape, but the sewing thread is rotting. Maybe we should just stitch it back together? I'm curious to know what the surface treatment is: rubber? It's not crumbling or stiff like old rubber. Paint? Ditto. Vinyl? Isn't 1922 too early for vinyl? Are there any simple tests I could subject a tiny bit to, to analyze it? And while I'm asking all these questions, does anyone have a recommendation on what to recover it with? Thank you all so much! Peggy Derrick, Curator La Crosse County Historical Society P.O. 1272 La Crosse WI 54602 608-782-1980 -- Ann Frisina Textile Conservator Minnesota Historical Society 345 Kellogg Blvd. W. St. Paul, MN 55413 651 259-3385 http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/conservation/index.html