Textile fragment

Description

Stevens Linen Works, located in Dudley, Massachusetts, manufactured this linen toweling during the first half of the 20th century. Pre-woven toweling only needed to be cut to size and finished for consumers to create household textiles, a modern convenience compared to the homespun linen and handwoven towels more common in 19th century homes. This section of toweling includes the bolt end, with stamped manufacturer information and an original label still attached. Textile manufacturers put information on bolt ends to identify their products, as well as proclaim their quality, to both retailers and consumers. The eye-catching, diamond-shaped label on this bolt end boasts that it is “Unequalled Towelling Made of Pure Flax Yarns.” This object is one of a large group transferred to Winterthur from the American Textile History Museum when it closed in 2017.