Tablecloth

Description

This white linen tablecloth was woven in New Hampshire, probably during the early 19th century. It is comprised of three panels stitched together along their selvedge edges. It is woven with a checkerboard pattern consisting of alternating overshot and plain weave square areas. In every other row, the plain weave areas contain an overshot four-pointed star (or compass rose) motif. This design is sometimes called a “Whig Star and Square” pattern, named after the mid-19th century U.S. political party, though the weaver of this particular object – and what meanings they may have intended to convey with its pattern – cannot be determined with any certainty. This tablecloth comes from Helen D. Young’s collection of handwoven textiles made in the northeastern United States before 1900. Young (1894-1983) was a prominent weaver, teacher, author, and collector of coverlets. Her collection, now at Winterthur (2017.0019.051.001 - .038), contains a diverse variety of weave structures, reflecting Young’s interest in structure and regional variation, as well as her understanding of textiles as an art form. This object is one of a large group transferred to Winterthur from the American Textile History Museum when it closed in 2017. The Winterthur Library also received a significant amount of material from ATHM, including the Laura M. Allen weaving draft collection, which was previously acquired by Marguerite Porter Davison and then Helen D. Young.