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 (ecru) cotton length: top is selvedge; 2 sides finished with hand-stitched rolled 1/8" hem. Bottom finished with 5-inch knotted fringe. 3 bands of drawn work cross the towel. Red threads wrap bundles on narrow band. On 2 wider bands, red weave over and under bundles of 20 threads. Straight stitch chicken tracks separate bundles on both sides.
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 woven lengthwise piece (both side edges are selvedges). Beautifully embroidered (6" long x 7" wide) white work monogram sewn in white cotton thread with satin, stem, buttonhole stitches and French knots. 2 inches below, trimmed with overcast. self-fringe. 1-inch wide drawnwork (bundles of 6 threads wrapped in center). 1/2" from edge is a 1/2-inch wide drawnwork stripe with single thread woven alternately by 2 central threads.
Center length (exposed) and another lengthwise fold are brown. Significant hole to one side of monogram. 2 other holes. Self-fringe edge is worn with fabric fraying in 2 places.
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.
Two linen handtowels. White and blue damask with border pattern of leaves, berries, and chain designs. Border is blue. 'HLJ' monogram embroidered in white, outlined in blue.
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).
White plain weave fringed hand towel. 2 rows (1/8 inch wide) of drawn-thread work, 4 1/2" and 2" from lower fringed edge. 1/4' hem on lower edge with self-fringe, 2 1/2" long, bound with white thread. 1/8-inch rolled hand-stitched hem on 3 sides.
Two white linen towels with red, blue, and gold design at ends. Towels were woven using a diaper weave and fringed on their ends. The diaper weave is a tight weave that is more absorbent.
Light tan linen hand towel. Two hanging loops on one short end, fringed on the opposite end. Attached note reads, "Hand-woven towel / from / Great-Grandmother Miller's collection." Belonged to Barbara Bechtel Miller, mother of Barbara Bechtel Miller Basehoar (Mrs. Geo. W. Basehoar)
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.
