Natalie F. Larson owns Historic Textile Reproduction, a company that specializes in producing textiles and custom window treatments for historic preservation projects undertaken by federal agencies and private collectors. Her research projects can be seen in more than a hundred museums and historic buildings, including at Mount Vernon, Monticello, Colonial Williamsburg, Historic Deerfield, and many National Park sites.
She joins ANTIQUES to share her thoughts on the past and future of curtains.
You make curtains for an elite group of historic interiors, but a few generations ago curtains were common in Americans homes, and now they are not. Give us an overview of the functions they served.
In seventeenth- and eighteenth-century colonial homes, it was much more common to see curtains on beds than on windows. Only the most elite homes put up curtains in windows, but with changes in trade and technology, the desire for these status symbols increased. Window curtains became fashionable in more homes in the early nineteenth century and reached a zenith in the Victorian period.
For practicality, window curtains initially provided some insulation against drafts, and protection from the fading of expensive carpets and furniture. These curtains were generally made of durable wool and linen fabrics and hung from iron or brass rings on iron rods. Early upholsterers seized the opportunity to further embellish rooms with fabric wallcoverings, furniture, and window curtains en suite. Gilt poles, brass hardware, and elaborate cornices with pulley systems replaced simple iron rods.
Caring for all those curtains must have been a lot of work!
Yes. Having window curtains in the home meant constant care and maintenance, since, before UV glass and window screens, they were susceptible to fading, soot, and insect and water damage. This required staff—either slave labor or paid servants—to monitor, dust, wash, iron, and mend. Expensive fringes had to be removed for washing and resewn. When not in use, curtains were put into slipcovers of dimity or paper, folded, and stored. In summer, wood frames covered with gauze could be fitted into open windows to help keep out bats, birds, and flying insects.
With separate rooms for washing, drying and ironing, servants were expected to ensure valuable textiles were properly cared for with slipcovers and daily inspecting. Before vacuums, special brushes were made for different textiles, and household manuals provided recipes for stain removal.
Most modern homes have all but eliminated designated spaces for washing and ironing, and with two-career families, extra household work causes extra stress and expense. Mass-market window coverings also provide an alternative to traditional hand-sewn curtains. Venetian blinds, roller shades, and factory-made curtains available at hardware stores and online are replacing custom textiles.
Do you live with curtains?
Yes, I have curtains in my house. I hate a blank wall, and textiles add color and texture, and complement art. Curtains can reduce noise in large rooms and add privacy when needed. I find ironing and hand-sewing relaxing, and I especially enjoy working in a historic setting, where we can create reproductions that may inspire visitors with something they have not seen before. I love to hear the “Wow!” when we finish a new room in a museum, and I know visitors go away with a new appreciation for historic textiles.
