Dating your Vintage Tablecloth Collection

gramasattic — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 04:39:34 +0000

Tablecloth design, like any other fashion art form, reflected existing tastes and styles of the period. We can use the records of these fashions and moods to generally determine dates. Although in some cases the tablecloths can be assigned to a general decade, as I have done in my book, or even to a specific group of years, the lack of manufacturing records or other cataloguing of these delightful keepsakes makes assigning any one date extremely difficult. For my book, I researched the history of the dyes, copyright & trademark records and poured over vintage catalogs to come up the a “quick reference summary” to help you date your tablecloths. .

Quick Reference Summary

Victorian: 1840 – 1899

Art Nouveau: 1900

World War I: 1910s

Art Deco: 1920s

- - - More use of pastel colors
      No “true” greens were possible, but light sage was possible
      Colors in opposites of the color wheel
      Lighter color red
      Increase in number of printed colors (2 or more)
      Designs are larger and usually in the corners
      Cocktail party themes
      Egyptian themes
      Aztec themes
      Oriental themes
      Damask and cotton tablecloths with colored striped borders

The Depression: 1930s

World War II: 1940s

Prosperity: 1950s

Continuation of 1940s designs but with richer colors and patterns
Use of kitchen themes, dishes, bottles, spices
Food themes
Whimsical funny designs
More use of bold synthetic dyes
Metallic dyes, especially gold and silver
Metallic threads running throughout
Synthetic fabrics
Rayon
Polyester
Black outlined designs
“Kitchey” quirky, fun prints
Exaggerated florals and bold geometric designs
Modern, Space age
Heavy Danish/Swedish influence
1958: Tags were sewn in
1958: Percentage of fibers in fabrics labeled, Ex: %20 rayon %80 Cotton.
Circles, squares and other geometric shapes
Designer “signed” tablecloths

Collecting Vintage Souvenir Tablecloths

gramasattic — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:50:23 +0000

Souvenir tablecloths
Most of us have cherished memories of family vacations, traveling through the United states by car, stopping at quirky tourist attractions. Today, vintage souvenir linens are very collectible, increasing in value every year as more and more collectors are drawn to the charm of these pieces of our past. Not only are they collectibles you can use, but they also convey a real sense of nostalgia of days gone by. They are a gentle reminders of the United States of our childhood- quaint roadside attractions, and rural small towns that today are rapidly disappearing. Collectors are attracted to the pleasing combination of strong graphics, bright colors and the dizzying array of designs and textures. Many different styles of state and city souvenirs were produced so there are literally hundreds of possibilities to collect. All states at one time sold souvenir tablecloths and tea towels. Although some examples are harder to find than others.

Although State Souvenir tablecloths were produced as early as the 1920s, they rapidly increased in popularity and by the late 1940s the combination of consumer demand and new car production reinvigorated American car culture and more people traveled by car on vacation. Americans were eager to take to the road to discover America, buying souvenir linens from the states they visited. It is easy to find examples of these souvenir linens with their original tags still attached, since they were put away in the linen drawer soon after the family returned from vacation.

By the late 1950′s you could even find a tablecloth featuring the “western states” and one picturing the entire United States on one cloth. The earlier 1920s state tablecloths were smaller, usually 34″ or 38″, and not as detailed as the later ones. Usually just one color and stamped with a simple design. By the late 1940s, state tablecloths were produced in a larger sizes of 52″ and 64″, with coordinating napkins for use at the family kitchen table. They also were printed with bold, multi-colored designs. State Souvenir tablecloths are an example of a “cross collectible”. Both the vintage printed tablecloth collector and the souvenir collector share a love of these pieces of American memorabilia.

The most highly sought after state tablecloths are those that were not as popular as tourist destinations. Souvenir linens from the states of Georgia, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee are harder to find and can be valued as high as $575.00. California, Florida, New York, Alaska, Nevada, Hawaii, and Wyoming, as well as the states that route 66 cut through were the most popular destinations. These souvenir state tablecloths are easier for the collector to acquire. Occasionally, you will find a Startex, Hardy Craft or Simtex label on these tablecloths, demonstrating their immense popularity, as the large tablecloth manufacturers responded to the market demand for souvenir linens.

1 Souvenir tablecloths and towels were also produced and showcase a specific popular tourist destination or city. You can find tablecloths featuring “Lake Michigan,” “Yellowstone Park” as well as “Washington D.C” and “Los Angeles,” just to name a few. These are a little harder to come by and are a delightful addition to state souvenir tablecloth collections.
We can use the records of the popularity of tourist attractions to generally determine dates for the linens. Trying to date the souvenir linen by the graphics is difficult, as designers used older model cars and graphics of people for 25 years or more. As the tourist industry in each state changed, so did the souvenir linens design

. Dude ranches, auto camps and small tourist venues came and went as the tourist landscape changed in each state. This is a great way to date your vintage souvenir linen. The tourist attractions were updated regularly so a quick check on the history of a specific tourist destination is a more accurate tool to date your souvenir.

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Dating your Vintage Tablecloth Collection

Collecting Vintage Souvenir Tablecloths