White linen towel in jacquard weave. Gold/orange patten at borders and hand knotted 5in fringe. Short edges are embroidered in orange with three bands: .25in wide with dots, 2.5in wide with leaves and circles, .75in wide withbands of orange dots.Monogrammed 'B'.
Ecru damask (woven diamond chain design) hand towel. 1/4-inch hand-stitched hem on 3 sides. One long side is unhemmed selvedge. White cotton tape folded in half lengthwise, stitched to top reverse at both corners to create hanging tab loops, with 5/8-inch space at base.
White homespun (?) linen hand towel. Macremaed fringe. Three drawnwork bands from 3.5in to 9.5in from bottom of towel. Red thread wraps wefts in narrow drawnwork. on other bands straight stitch chicken tracks in red separate groups of threads. Decorated with red cotton thread feather stitching. Narrow hems on length. Tangled fringe, feather stitches fraying.
02/22: White cotton length.Top is selvedge, 2 sides finished with hand-stitched rolled 1/8-inch hem. Bottom finished with knotted fringe, 5 inches long. 3 bands of drawn work (1/4",1/2" & 1/2") cross the towel (9 1/2", 6 1/2" & 3 1/2" from bottom). Red thread wraps bundles on narrow band. On 2 wider bands, straight stitch chicken tracks in red separate groups of threads.
White homespun linen hand towel. 2 rows of drawn-thread work, one 3/4" wide, another 3/8" wide. 16-thread bundles, twisted by central thread woven alternately under and over groups of 8 threads.
1/4-inch hand-sewn hems on three sides. On lower edge, there is a self fringe, some threads are 3 inches long.
White fringed homespun linen hand towel. 3 rows of drawn-thread work: 7 3/4", 5 1/4" and 3" from lower edge. 1st and 3rd (3/8-inch wide) are 16-thread bundles twisted by a central thread woven alternately under and over groups of 8 thread. 2nd (1/4" wide) has white thread wrapping 8 thread at bases, top and bottom to form 'V"s across width of towel.
1/4-inch hems on three sides. 3-inch self-fringe bound with white thread.
White hand towel. 3-inch fringes at both ends. 4-inch borders both ends. 5"x3" 'Mitin red & white cotton threads. Outline and satin stitches. Hand embroidered. Ecru cotton; crosswise, selvedge to selvedge, woven with oval chain pattern. 5 inches on both ends is a border of patterned bands of varying sizes, 3-inch fringes on both ends.
In center, 1/8 inch above the 5-inch border: 5 inches high x 3 inches wide, "M" is embroidered in white and red cotton threads. Outline and flower leaf embellishments in white (stem and satin stitches). Red satin stitch circles/dots embroidered in outline and flower centers. Same "M" on 84.34.2. These two are a pair--borders are different patterns.
Off-white linen damask hand towel. Jacquard weave. Grapeleaf border with carnation center. 3 borders: inner (1/8"), middle (2 1/2 "), outer (3/4"). Hand-knotted fringe at both ends. Double drawnwork pattern on both ends. Monogrammed 6-inch high 'A' in script. Hand embroidered with cotton thread. Area around monogram darkened.
White linen towel. Handknotted fringe on each end. At one end, cross stitch stylistic floral design. Button hole. Stitch scallops. Drawn work on design edge. 2' cross stich below drawnwork.
Plain coarse linen weave hand towel. Machine woven. Hand woven and knotted fringe. 10' borders on either end. Hand drawn work and embroidery in cotton thread. Mostly satin, feather, french knots, outline stitches. White, blue, pink, cream and tan. Drawn
White and red linen hand towel. Drawn-thread panel (3 1/2" long) sewn to top with brown running stitch. Red chain stitch border through all layers attaches panel to towel. Red and white threads on panel show two 4-legged animals facing each other with red "E" and "H" on either side of a central red and white design. All contained within a white zia-zag border. Bottom edge is plain fringe bound into clusters and overcast to prevent fraying.
2 hanging tabs of white cotton tape sewn on back at top corners.
Doubled over hand-stitched hems on long sides and lower edge. 17-inch length of 5/8-inch wide woven decorative eyelet tape hand-stitched to lower edge.
1/8-inch wide drawn thread overcast with brown thread on outer edge, secured with red decorative stitch. 1/2-inch wide border along both long edges.
4.5' drawnwork border folded into a hem. Homespun linen. Twill tabs at one end. Darning work of stylized figures of dogs and a flower. On length, hand-turned hem with hem stitching and feather stitch border in brown. Rose
Percale, cotton towel. White, gold, bronze, green, rose, and blue crewel embroidery. Two hanging tabs at top corners (show towel). White machine-made fringe sewn across width: 1 at bottom, one 9 inches from bottom; the third 1 1/2 inches from top.Decorated with 9 3"x3" figures: 2 8-pointed stars; central figure with mirror-image to 2 birds; 3 flowers in pots. Hand embroidered with crewel (wool) threads (yellow, red, blue & green) in chain stitch. Hand hemmed on long edges. Fringes are hand applied. Star
8 linen hand towels. White damask with geometric square design panel along both ends, vine and leaf design. Crocheted edges with 'HLJ' elaborately embroidered with grey thread with floral motifs.
Were Harriet Lane Johnston's. Inherited by _____________ who was Harriet's cousin, then to _______________ sister Mrs. E.R. Taylor. Then they went to her son, Edmund R. Taylor Jr., who with his wife was the donor to Wheatland.
White homespun (?) linen hand towel. Macremaed fringe. Three drawnwork bands from 3.5in to 9.5in from bottom of towel. Red thread wraps wefts in narrow drawnwork. on other bands straight stitch chicken tracks in red separate groups of threads. Decorated with red cotton thread feather stitching. Narrow hems on length. Tangled fringe, feather stitches fraying.
White damask handtowel. Lengthwise rows of bud-like flowers, light blue woven areas. Chain down sides, floral vine along both edges. Wider band of rosebud vines below. Both ends have multi-knotted fringe. At center bottom of one end, 'A' embroidered in w
White cotton monogrammed hand towel. 3 1/2" tall "A" stitched in the center of towel 6 inches from the bottom. Done in white thread (satin stitch, eyelet) with flowers and eyelet holes.
3.5-inch long drawn-thread panels on both ends. Knotted self-fringe of criss-crossed groups of threads.
About 40 inches, not including the fringe. Total length is 44 inches.
Condition
Good/fair
Condition Date
2018-02-07
Condition Notes
Towel has been folded in 3 sections--tears in drawn-thread panels along folds in 3 places. Exposed top length has yellowed. Lower edge next to fringe has been repaired in one spot. Hard to see, but looks like selvedge edges may have been overcast.
Object ID
W.1989.241.001
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
White damask handtowel. Poinsetta-like flowers. Bottom has triple-band border (3 1/2 inches high) woven in red across the width. Self-fringe, hand-knotted, may have been 3 1/2 to 4 inches long on both ends.
Pair of white damask linen hand towels. White damask with designs in border of diagonal lines, meander, and scrollwork. Also has stylized palm design and, in rows down center, vines with fuschia-like flowers. Fringed around edges, longer on short ends. '
Provenance
Belonged to Harriet Lane Johnston, passed to May Kennedy (Harriet's cousin), passed to Julia Kennedy (Taylor) (sister), passed to Taylor daughters, passed to donor (Edmund R. Taylor III).
One of three linen handtowels. White damask with thinly hemmed edges (c. .125'). Meander border with foliate design and center panels of ivy leaf border, meander dividers, and strawberry vines. 'HLJ' at bottom center in white with pink circle accents.
