Tablecloth

Description

This white linen tablecloth, featuring an overshot pattern of interlocking hexagons, was probably woven in New England during the early 19th century. It was possibly made or owned by an M. Batchelder, whose name is written in one corner. The tablecloth consists of two pieces joined by a center seam. It has two selvedge edges, both of which are bound with very fine linen tape handsewn to them, while the other two edges are hemmed. 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.