Description:
Handkerchief printed with the children's cumulative nursery rhyme or song "The House that Jack Built." The rhyme or story was first published in 1755, based on similar, earlier such stories from other cultures. The handkerchief represents the novelty available in fashion through technology by the early 19th-century. This single-color, inexpensively-produced accessory provided entertainment and was affordable to a wide range of people. Handkerchiefs like this were likely imported to the United States in large numbers. Multiple handkerchiefs were printed on lengths of cotton; the scrolling border on all four sides acted as a marker for cutting out individual handkerchiefs for sale. The printed border dimensions are 12 5/8" x 14 1/8". The printing was done using engraved copper plates, which allowed for more detailed, finer designs that wooden block prints. Three of the four sides are hemmed with a 1/4" wide hem; the fourth is pressed but not hemmed (it may never have been). The initials "PH" or "PM" are cross-stitched in dark silk embroidery floss on the upper unhemmed corner; this was likely the original owner of the hendkerchief. The cotton fabric is a moderately fine, unbalanced plain weave, with a thread count of about 60epi x 44tpi. The warp threads are spun in a Z twist; weft threads are loosely spun in an S twist.
Subjects:
Textile fabrics; Copper; Cotton Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2019.11.3 |
