Artifact: Wrapping Gown (detail)
Materials: Linen with embroidery
Dimensions: 70.5 cm centre back
Date: 1740-1760
Origin: England
Collection: Victoria & Albert Museum
Ledger Entry: Fine White Linen
Department: Textile
Customer: Lyle Manasses
Ledger Page: 251
Imported From: Most of the textiles sold in the Ramsay store were either produced and imported from England, or imported to the colonies through England. Linens were produced in an array of weaving qualities from Ireland, Holland, and Silesia.
Product Description
Linen is a type of fabric made from spun flax fibers. It was used for clothing and a variety of household uses such as bedclothes, table cloths, napkins, and towels.
Citation: Florence M. Montgomery. Textiles in America, 1650-1870 : a Dictionary Based on Original Documents : Prints and Paintings, Commercial Records, American Merchants' Papers, Shopkeepers' Advertisements, and Pattern Books with Original Swatches of Cloth. (New York :Norton, 1984);
Historical Price: 4 shillings, 2 pence per yard; Modern USD: $46.7
Product Variations
The databases record one hundred and forty purchases of Linen in addition to purchases of specific types of linens such as osnaburg and mohair. Qualifiers include fine, glazed, check, white and brown as well as numbered types of linens. Their prices range from seven and a half pence for white linen to eight shillings two pence for checked linen.
