American Historical Society displays Kashmir shawls

In New Canaan, a town in Connecticut, America, the New Canaan Historical Society is showcasing Victorian-era Kashmir shawls from July 7 to September 2015. I have a small collection of my own Kashmir shawls.

The new exhibit of Kashmir shawls is displayed in the New Canaan Historical Society’s Costume Museum. The Kashmir shawls reflect their popularity during the Victorian Period from the first quarter of the 19th century to the end of the century. The Victorian era of British history was during the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to her death in 1901. The shawls date from early to late 1800s, a transitional period in America’s history during the Industrial Revolution (when manufacturing replaced agriculture as the primary economic source of income). The New Canaan Historical Society was founded in 1889, and the town of New Canaan joined the Industrial Revolution with shoe manufacturing. The New Canaan Historical Society’s Costume Museum was opened in 1968.

The curator of the collection at the New Canaan Historical Society’s Costume Museum, Deborah Bede, says the shawls show the history of the weaving process. Since opening the Costume Museum, the Historical Society has acquired a large collection of Kashmir shawls gifted by the residents of New Canaan. The shawls would not only have been worn, but would have decorated the homes of many residents – placed over pianos, covering beds, and draped over furniture, or even hung on walls.

www.nchistory.org

http://ncadvertiser.com/54526/kashmir-shawls-on-display-at-historical-society/

Martina Nicolls is the author of Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010)

Photo: www.nchistory.org

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