Alnwick Bedspreads collection
Scope and Contents
The collection contains correspondence, newsclippings, photographs, ephemera, and several small samples of coverlet material.
Dates
- 1893-1978, undated
Creator
- Alnwick Bedspreads (Organization)
Language
The materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
No interlibrary loan.
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research in the Dougherty Reading Room.
Historical Note
Alnwick Bedspreads was one of many companies who profited from a resurgence of interest in Colonial era household items in the early 20th Century. The brand, based in Poughkeepsie, New York, specialized in producing top quality tufted and knotted bedspreads made by women in the southern Appalachian mountains, particularly in the vicinity of Boone, North Carolina.
The coverlets, canopies, and bespreads produced by Alnwick found there way into collections at the White House and several historic homes, including Mount Vernon. Much of collection comes from the personal correspondence and records of Mrs. Annette Fry, who, while trying to revive the company in the 1960s, researched the history of Alnwick as well as the origins of knotted and tufted bedspreads in the United States.
Extent
3.5 Linear Feet (7 boxes)
Abstract
The collection contains information from the Alnwick Bedspreads company, including correspondence, magazine articles, ephemera, and photographs.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into three series. Series I: Company History is arranged alphabetically with an additional box of notecards at the end. Series II: Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by last name of correspondent. Series III: Photographs is divided in to two subseries. Subseries A: Black and White photographs is arranged alphabetically. Subseries B: Color Photographs is also arranged alphabetically.
Acquisitions Information
The collection was originally given to Appalachian State in 1971. It was received as part of the materials transferred from the Appalachian Cultural Museum in summer 2011.
Processing Information
The collection was processed by Trevor McKenzie in September 2013. This collection was processed as part of a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The grant funded extensive processing of the backlog within the W. L. Eury Appalachian Collection between 2012 and 2014.
- Fry, Annette
- Textile crafts -- Appalachian Region, Southern Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- AC.488: Alnwick Bedspreads Collection, 1893-1978, undated
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Collection processed and finding aid generated by Trevor McKenzie, September 2013.
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections Research Center Repository
