Pennsylvania Dutch Show Towels
Cathy M Koos
Oh, the dilemma – are those fancy finger towels in the guest bathroom meant to be used? Or just admired? There are no other towels in sight, so do you risk using those highly starched beauties or just shake your hands off? A friend of mine has cloth finger towels for every holiday, and a basket of matching paper finger towels to make the decision easy.
Back in the day, not so very long ago, young women in many cultures began collecting items for their trousseau at an early age, and Danish and Pennsylvania Dutch girls were no different. Sometimes a wooden chest, sometimes a bottom dresser drawer, the contents consistently included textiles and small items needed in their future married life. Often bed and table linens, towels, dishware, and occasionally a special dress or an ornate infant christening gown were included. These dowry chests were often highly decorative and were subsequently used by the bride as furniture in her new home.
Household linens were a way to show off a bride’s needlework skill and thus arose the fancy show towel. In Pennsylvania Dutch homes, these ornate towels were hung on the wall, proudly positioned so it was the first thing seen by visitors.
(Redman’s Museum, C M Koos)
Denmark also had a tradition of fancy trousseau towels, called Hedebo. Common from the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, these white-on-white embroidery and needle-lace fine linen towels measured about 48 x 28 inches and were meant to be folded over and hung in front of towels that were in use.
Hedebo lace towels. TE*T12132.(Smithsonian Institute)
From flax grown on the family farm, Pennsylvania Dutch brides wove their handspun linen towels and then generally cross-stitched sampler-style designs in silk. Turkey red was a common embroidery color, contrasting brightly against the sun-bleached white linen. Designs usually included the year, bride’s name, floral motifs, vines, and peacocks.
Unlike the Danish Hedebo towels, the narrower Pennsylvania Dutch towels were meant to be hung on a wall or door displaying the full length of the towel, measuring about 15-18 inches x about 50 inches.
(CMKoos, Redmen’s Hall)
Occasionally popping up on eBay and Etsy, sadly these treasured towels are usually only seen in regional museums and textile collections. Now our kitchens and bathrooms are adorned with inexpensive box store towels.
“Bed Bath and Beyond” registries frequently feature a role in the kitchenware and towels gifted at wedding showers today. After this past Year of the Pause where weddings and wedding showers were put on hold, we now have an opportunity to start some new traditions and bring back forgotten rituals. Wouldn’t it be grand to restart the custom and reintroduce show towels? While the bride-to-be may not be a weaver or crafter, the gift of a lovely handwoven show towel or table runner or kitchen towels may be just the spark for a future weaver. And we certainly would not have to worry about duplicate gifts!