A foldout plate illustrating the various steps and cycles of silkworm cultivation and raw silk manufacture. Illustrated by Albert Berghaus, this plate first appeared in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper on August 19, 1876. The bottom of the plate reads "The Centennial Exposition — The Silkworm Exhibit in Machinery Hall" perhaps indicating that this plate was exhibited during this exhibition. Illustration includes the life cycle of the silkworm, moths, cocoons, and a woman spinning silk thread.

This illustration comes from An Instruction Book in the Art of Silk Culture by the Women's Silk Culture Association and encourages the development of an industry in the United States for the culture of raw silk. The book was compiled from various authorities on sericulture, such as Felix Gillet, John Clarke, Prof. H. C. Kerr, and Ira Dinock. The Women's Silk Culture Association was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1880 and partially funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. The U.S. silk industry employed many women and girls. The book includes many illustrations of silk worm cultivation and their life cycles.