Textiles

Coverlet

The 50,000 objects in the textile collections fall into two main categories: raw fibers, yarns, and fabrics, and machines, tools, and other textile technology. Shawls, coverlets, samplers, laces, linens, synthetics, and other fabrics are part of the first group, along with the 400 quilts in the National Quilt Collection. Some of the Museum's most popular artifacts, such as the Star-Spangled Banner and the gowns of the first ladies, have an obvious textile connection.

The machinery and tools include spinning wheels, sewing machines, thimbles, needlework tools, looms, and an invention that changed the course of American agriculture and society. A model of Eli Whitney's cotton gin, made by the inventor in the early 1800s, shows the workings of a machine that helped make cotton plantations profitable in the South and encouraged the spread of slavery.

Date: 1900s

Japanese Made Honiton Bobbin Lace Pennant

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1890-1905
ID Number
TE.E260960B
catalog number
E260960.00B
accession number
51116

"Rose and Table" pattern overshot coverlet

Overshot coverlet made with red, indigo and natural colored yarns. Rose and table pattern--no extra border pattern. The coverlet is consists of two panels stitched together.
Description
Overshot coverlet made with red, indigo and natural colored yarns. Rose and table pattern--no extra border pattern. The coverlet is consists of two panels stitched together. Yarns: warp-single ply , z twist white cotton, ground weft--single z twist white cotton, pattern-weft single z twist red and indigo wool. The top and bottom hems are hand stitched. Repeat size of pattern 6 1/8 " x 5 3/4." There is no border pattern. According to the donor, this coverlet was owned by Mrs. Sarah Franklin Brown , grand mother of the donor. She lived in Washington County, Tenn. (post office-Telford, just below Jonesboro) in the Southern Highlands.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
19th century
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T16890
catalog number
T16890.00S
accession number
308471

Honiton Bobbin Lace Cape

Honiton bobbin lace cape in fine quality with the ends of the cape appearing to be older than the rest of the capeCurrently not on view
Description
Honiton bobbin lace cape in fine quality with the ends of the cape appearing to be older than the rest of the cape
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century, 4th quarter
ID Number
TE.L7657
catalog number
L7657.000
accession number
58000

Handkerchief with Black Chantilly Lace Border

Linen handkerchief bordered with Chantilly lace. Black bobbin lace, fine quality, half-mourning handkerchief for close relatives.Currently not on view
Description
Linen handkerchief bordered with Chantilly lace. Black bobbin lace, fine quality, half-mourning handkerchief for close relatives.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
4th quarter 19th century
ID Number
TE.E377922
catalog number
E377922.000
accession number
139816

Child's silk dress; Tiflis, Russian Caucasus; ca. 1900

Child's silk dress, simple A-shape with an asymmetrical neck opening and band collar, underarm gussets. Embroidered border at neck opening, sleeve hems, and skirt hem; geometric pattern. in red and black; Tiflis, Russian Caucasus, ca. 1900.
Description
Child's silk dress, simple A-shape with an asymmetrical neck opening and band collar, underarm gussets. Embroidered border at neck opening, sleeve hems, and skirt hem; geometric pattern. in red and black; Tiflis, Russian Caucasus, ca. 1900. Natural color silk fabric, ornamented with a cross-stitched border in black and red. Transferred from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture sericulture display, Bureau of Entomology, July 9, 1912.
At various points in American history, from colonial times onward, people experimented with sericulture - meaning the raising of silkworms and reeling of silk filaments from silkworm cocoons. At first it was hoped that this silk could be shipped to Great Britain for use in its silk textile manufacturing industry. Experiments in the 1760s and after, into the early 20th century, hoped to raise enough silk to support an American silk textile industry. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, efforts in California and other (primarily) western states were supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture with a display in the department's headquarters building in Washington, DC. The display also highlighted the imports of raw silk from Asia, Europe, and the Middle East that most manufacturers used in their products. The contents of the display were transferred to the (then) U.S. National Museum in 1912, for exhibition in the Textile Hall, as educational background for the exhibition of silk textiles manufactured in the US.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca. 1900
ID Number
TE.T01114.000
catalog number
T01114.000
accession number
54306
catalog number
T1114

Border in Point d'Angleterre Bobbin and Needle Lace

Modern Point d'Angleterre border with Brussels bobbin lace floral pattern connected with point de Gaze needle lace net. The machine made entre-deux added at foot edge is for attaching the lace to fabric.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Modern Point d'Angleterre border with Brussels bobbin lace floral pattern connected with point de Gaze needle lace net. The machine made entre-deux added at foot edge is for attaching the lace to fabric.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1860-1900
ID Number
TE.L7609
catalog number
L7609.000

Maltese Bobbin Lace Scarf

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
ID Number
TE.E379872
catalog number
E379872.000
accession number
154872

Burano Needle Lace Neck Band with Tag

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
end of 19th century
ID Number
TE.T11840B
catalog number
T11840.00B
accession number
198210

"Orange Peel;" coverlet; overshot; c. 1790-1825

This blue and white, overshot coverlet was woven in a simplified version of the “Orange Peel” pattern. The two-paneled coverlet measures ninety-four inches in length by seventy-two inches wide.
Description
This blue and white, overshot coverlet was woven in a simplified version of the “Orange Peel” pattern. The two-paneled coverlet measures ninety-four inches in length by seventy-two inches wide. The plain weave ground cloth is made up of natural or unbleached linen or cotton warp and weft yarn and the supplementary pattern weft is a 2-ply wool yarn. There is some staining and slight discoloration, but overall this coverlet is in fairly good condition. Because the donor collected this coverlet from and unknown sources, the date and maker of this blue and white, cotton and wool, overshot coverlet is unknown. The coverlet was probably made between 1790 and 1825 and could possibly be from New York. The weaver of this early coverlet would also likely have been a woman or group of women who would pool equipment and skill sets to produce domestic goods for themselves and their neighbors. Since this coverlet dates from the early 19th century, it is quite likely that some or even all of the yarns used were homespun. Professional weavers switched to machine-spun cotton as soon as it was available, but hand-spun wool continued in use in coverlets in the early 19th century.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800-1850
1800-1900
1790-1825
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T6887
catalog number
T06887.000
accession number
011503

Dress Trim

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1875-1900
ID Number
TE.T11999.000
catalog number
T11999.000

Cape Contructed of Battenburg Tapes, Needle Lace and Gros Point Motifs

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
3rd quarter, 19th century
ID Number
TE.T11853.000
catalog number
T11853.000

Silk stockings; Tiflis, Russian Caucasus; Mrs. Herzog's silk;ca. 1900

The original catalog card reads: "Silk stockings. Knitted in Tiflis, Russia, from Mrs. Herzog's silk. Natural Color."The identity of Mrs. Herzog has not yet been determined. Hand knitted; ribbed top. Pair. Socks rather than above the knee stockings.
Description
The original catalog card reads: "Silk stockings. Knitted in Tiflis, Russia, from Mrs. Herzog's silk. Natural Color."
The identity of Mrs. Herzog has not yet been determined. Hand knitted; ribbed top. Pair. Socks rather than above the knee stockings. These are part of a display on silk and sericulture transferred from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology, July 9, 1912.
At various points in American history, from colonial times onward, people experimented with sericulture - meaning the raising of silkworms and reeling of silk filaments from silkworm cocoons. At first it was hoped that this silk could be shipped to Great Britain for use in its silk textile manufacturing industry. Experiments in the 1760s and after, into the early 20th century, hoped to raise enough silk to support an American silk textile industry. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, efforts in California and other (primarily) western states were supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture with a display in the department's headquarters building in Washington, DC. The display also highlighted the imports of raw silk from Asia, Europe, and the Middle East that most manufacturers used in their products. The contents of the display were transferred to the (then) U.S. National Museum in 1912, for exhibition in the Textile Hall, as educational background for the exhibition of silk textiles manufactured in the US.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca. 1900
ID Number
TE.T01116.000
catalog number
T01116.000
accession number
54306
catalog number
T1116

bobbin lace collar

Art nouveau style bobbin lace collar for a dress or coat. Collar made with cluny style bobbin lace with raised tallies. Very narrow. Elongated rose motifs in V shapes.Currently not on view
Description
Art nouveau style bobbin lace collar for a dress or coat. Collar made with cluny style bobbin lace with raised tallies. Very narrow. Elongated rose motifs in V shapes.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca. 1900
ID Number
TE.E382892
accession number
165551

Coverlet, Jacquard double-cloth; c.1870-1880; Pennsylvania

This coverlet features a large central rose medallion with starburst at the center surrounded by an ivy garland. A triangle-motif section rings this followed by a wide border of roses and foliate designs. There are bouquets of flowers in each corner.
Description
This coverlet features a large central rose medallion with starburst at the center surrounded by an ivy garland. A triangle-motif section rings this followed by a wide border of roses and foliate designs. There are bouquets of flowers in each corner. This coverlet is double cloth, but the weave is unbalanced. The colored wool weft yards are loosely twisted 2-ply, s-twist, z-spun in red, green, blue, and purple, and the white cotton singles are z-spun. There is also a cotton drab warp of z-spun singles and white cotton z-spun singles. The weaver tripled these singles in the warp and wove them as one. There is a self-fringe on 2 sides, and an applied woven fringe in wool weft colors stitched to lower edge. The coverlet was purchased by the donor’s mother sometime in the late nineteenth century. She lived in Newport, Maine and kept the coverlet sealed in a trunk until 1913 when it was gifted to her daughters. It is likely that Mrs. Grindell purchased the coverlet while visiting Philadelphia for the Centennial Exposition. Coverlets in this style and color combination were sold at the Expo, and coverlets with horizontal color banding have been associated with Pennsylvania or Pennsylvania-trained weavers throughout the nineteenth century. The colors used to dye the wool are synthetic dyes that became popular during the 1860s onward, lending more credence to the dating of these coverlet c. 1870-1880. There is no center seam and the design, although bold, lacks the refinement of earlier, hand-woven coverlets, suggesting fully-industrialized, power-loom, factory production.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1875-1900
late 19th century
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T13987
catalog number
T13987.000
accession number
268777

Bedfordshire Bobbin Lace Collar

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
Late 19th to early 20th c
Mid to late 19th c
ID Number
2013.0121.47
accession number
2013.0121
catalog number
2013.0121.47

lace, collar

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca. 1905
ID Number
TE.T13757
catalog number
T13757
accession number
262265

Point de Gaze Neede Lace Flounce

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1860-1900
ID Number
TE.T13857B
catalog number
T13857.00B

border of Brussels applique lace

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th c
ID Number
1984.0111.250
accession number
1984.0111

Surah silk from Tiflis, Russian Caucasus; ca. 1900

A length of Surah silk fabric from Tiflis, Russian Caucasus. Lustrous, natural color (off-white) length of twill weave silk fabric; 82" L x 20" W. "Surah" also "Sura" is a name for a lightweight, lustrous twill weave silk fabric.
Description
A length of Surah silk fabric from Tiflis, Russian Caucasus. Lustrous, natural color (off-white) length of twill weave silk fabric; 82" L x 20" W. "Surah" also "Sura" is a name for a lightweight, lustrous twill weave silk fabric. This example is likely to have been hand-woven from locally grown cocoons in the Caucasus in the late 19th century. Transferred from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture sericulture display, Bureau of Entomology, July 9, 1912.
At various points in American history, from colonial times onward, people experimented with sericulture - meaning the raising of silkworms and reeling of silk filaments from silkworm cocoons. At first it was hoped that this silk could be shipped to Great Britain for use in its silk textile manufacturing industry. Experiments in the 1760s and after, into the early 20th century, hoped to raise enough silk to support an American silk textile industry. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, efforts in California and other (primarily) western states were supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture with a display in the department's headquarters building in Washington, DC. The display also highlighted the imports of raw silk from Asia, Europe, and the Middle East that most manufacturers used in their products. The contents of the display were transferred to the (then) U.S. National Museum in 1912, for exhibition in the Textile Hall, as educational background for the exhibition of silk textiles manufactured in the US.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca. 1900
ID Number
TE.T01112.000
catalog number
T01112.000
accession number
54306
catalog number
T1112

Coarse Furniture Lace With Large Floral Motifs Milanese Style.

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
3rd quarter, 19th century
ID Number
TE.T11868
catalog number
T11868.000

"Granite State;" coverlet; overshot; c. 1800-1825; Northeastern United States

This red, blue, and white, overshot coverlet was woven in the "Granite State" pattern. There is a decorative self-fringe at the lower edge with a woven heading.
Description
This red, blue, and white, overshot coverlet was woven in the "Granite State" pattern. There is a decorative self-fringe at the lower edge with a woven heading. The coverlet measures 87 inches by 70.88 inches, and it was constructed from two panels, woven as one length, cut, and seamed in the middle. The warp is a 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun cotton. The ground weft is a Z-spun cotton single, and the pattern weft is red and indigo, 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun wool.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
first half 19th century?
1800-1825
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T18642
catalog number
T18642.000
accession number
1978.2528

lace, flounce

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
ID Number
TE.T13761A
catalog number
T13761A
accession number
262265

Cuff, Modern Point d'Angleterre

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
Late 19th C
ID Number
1985.0161.04
accession number
1985.0161
catalog number
1985.0161.0004.000

Brussels Bobbin Lace Scarf

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1900
ID Number
TE.T13858
catalog number
T13858.000

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