A History of the Rio Grande Mills, by Inés Cardoso
The first full account of the valley's textile industry and the artists who have worked from its remains, published 4 February
Example Press publishes "A History of the Rio Grande Mills" by Inés Cardoso on 4 February.
The book is the first full account of the textile industry that operated along the Rio Grande valley between 1911 and 2012, and of the artists who have worked from its remains. Cardoso draws on the municipal archives at Piedras Negras, including production records and dye ledgers that have not previously been consulted by a researcher outside the industry.
The final third turns to contemporary practice, with chapters on the Taller Textil collective and on Maria Alvarez, whose weavings are made from thread recovered from three of the closed mills. Cardoso argues that this work should be read as industrial history rather than as regional craft, a distinction the book traces to the way the mills were catalogued after closure.
Inés Cardoso is a writer and historian based in Madrid. She has written for Artforum and Frieze, and her previous book, "Dye and Ledger," was shortlisted for the Example Art Book Prize.
"A History of the Rio Grande Mills" by Inés Cardoso
Example Press, 4 February 2026
384 pages, 92 illustrations, hardback, 16 by 24 cm
ISBN 978-0-000000-00-0. Price: £30
Review copies and author interviews: press@example-press.example