Blanket Statements: Long Island’s Early Weaving Industry
May 25, 2023–October 8, 2023
Preservation Long Island Exhibition Gallery
Thursdays–Sundays, 11 AM to 4 PM
Exhibition Special Programs
June, July and August 2023
About the Exhibition
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.
Visit the companion exhibition, From Farm to Fabric: Early Woven Textiles of Long Island, at the Huntington Historical Society to learn more about the materials, technology, and design of woven textiles produced in the home and in small-scale professional workshops across Long Island during late eighteenth and early nineteenth century!
Exhibition Special Programs
Weaving Demonstrations: Second Sunday of each month – June 11th, July 9th, and August 13th from 1pm-4pm at the Huntington Arsenal. Click HERE for details.
Talks Over Tea: Tuesday, June 27th from 2pm-4pm. Huntington Historical Society Curator, Emily Werner, will discuss the history of textile production on Long Island at the Conklin Barn in Huntington. Click HERE for details and registration.
Curator-Led Tour: Saturday, July 8, 2023 at 11 AM at the Preservation Long Island Exhibition Gallery (pre-registration and tickets required). Click HERE for details and registration.
Virtual Lunch and Learn: Thursday, August 10th at 12pm. Rabbit Goody an internationally-known textile historian and the owner and designer at Thistle Hill Weavers, a mill that specializes in creating 17th, 18th, and 19th-century historic reproduction fabrics, will present a virtual lecture on Long Island coverlets. Click HERE for details and registration.
Learn More
Woven History: The Technology and Innovation of Long Island Coverlets, 1800-1860
Long Island was at the forefront of coverlet production during the early 19th century. This original publication from our collection provides an in-depth exploration of local mills and weavers, loom technology, and regional coverlet designs.
The exhibition is sponsored in part by North Shore Quilting & Fabric Art
