Barkcloth/bark cloth and mid-century interiors. Show me yours and I'll show you mine!

  • Thread starter Thread starter lindapoirier
  • Start date Start date
This barkcloth has an interesting story. It's dated 1952 and was manufactured by Riverdale.
Associated American Artists was established in the mid-1930s to bring art to the middle classes. (AAA prints have been featured on "Antiques Roadshow" and can fetch high $$.) From 1952-57, AAA also offered apparel and interior decorating fabrics. The curator of the American Textile History Museum has written an informative paper on the subject (my particular fabric is not mentioned): http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1394&context=tsaconf. I've contacted her to see if she'd like me to donate a piece.

P1070428_zps5772e91d.jpg

P1070429_zps59c67165.jpg
 
Last edited:
This is such a fun thread. I have this pair coming up tomorrow on ebay.

AbstractPatternBarkclothDrapes2vfg.jpg


Guaranteed To Be A Preshrunk GOLDCO Vat Print AURORA


This one is actually not barkcloth but a heavy cotton.
Pardon the creases...For the last month I have been slowly opening up boxes from when I moved here 11 years ago...it has to be done and what great surprises as I muddle along!!!

I found this one alone at a garage sale and could not leave it behind
as I did already own a pair that I have had hanging in my dining room area in the past.
I try to rotate them so they don't completely disintegrate from the sun.

I just love this cityscape print!

cityscapedrapevfg.jpg
 
Last edited:
pinky-a-gogo said:
That city scape is great!
MJ--it's like Christmas everyday at your house.
Opening boxes from 11 years ago! You never know what you may find--sounds like fun!
Click to expand...

That is what it has been feeling like...and some of it I don't remember at all.

Melanie, I will let you know if I decide to part with the single drape. It's difficult to judge the actual weight because it has
an all cotton lining as well.
 
I received such a kind reply from Karen, curator at the American Textile History Museum in Lowell, MA, to my offer of a fabric donation! A portion of her email:

"I could hug you! That paper I wrote on the AAA fabrics was quite a while ago and since then I have documented over 200 fabrics. I also just finished a book chapter on the AAA textile designs as part of a larger book on the whole organization. Although, I have documented “Geraniums” from ads I have never found an actual piece of the fabric."

She also states that there will be an exhibition of the AAA fabrics at the museum in the fall of 2016. Luckily, I have a friend who lives in the Boston area so I hope to plan a trip to Massachusetts at that time and see the exhibition. :)
 
Linda, thanks for starting this thread, I've had so much fun looking at all those great vintage fabrics, and the funny TV lamps (again something I didn't know existed!). Please show us photos of your new house once you've moved in and decorated it. It sounds like the place where I would love to live if I could get my hands on all these things :).
Here's something I bought just because I loved th ook of it:
longinesymphonette.jpg

The Longines Symphonette - alarm clock, radio and lamp. It actually works and the seller even provided me with some spare bulbs. I just can't find out though how the clock can be adjusted...
 
Mine had the chain.
I kept it for awhile but when I moved I parted with a lot of items I wish that I kept.
I was in a minimalist period--I didn't want any clutter. :wacko:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top