Blanket Statements: Long Island’s Early Weaving Industry
Preservation Long Island Exhibition Gallery
May 25–October 8, 2023
Featuring art and objects from the collections of Preservation Long Island, the Huntington Historical Society, and the Whaling Museum & Education Center, Blanket Statements explores the development of Long Island’s professional textile industry and the broader historical events that shaped its growth during the first half of the nineteenth century.
By the early 1800s, Long Island was at the forefront of carpet and coverlet production in North America. As the young United States sought economic independence following a pair of wars against Great Britain, textile manufactories evolved from Long Island’s agricultural base. Highly skilled weavers created complex designs using innovative loom technology introduced by recent European immigrants. Beautiful and functional, these objects reflect the interwoven connections between people, materials, technology, and labor—both enslaved and free—across an ocean and generations.
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