The collection consists of lecture notes from Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, dated around 1873. The lecture is divided into three parts. The first part discusses the origins of textiles, with a particular emphasis on cotton. The second part explores the ribbon, detailing its uses and origins in Normandy, France. The third part addresses industrial progress and modern ribbon manufacturing, and it presents the biography of Jean Baptiste Masselin, the founder of the ribbon industry in France.