1890–1900 Bates Family Silk Parlor Throw
National Museum of American History
1300 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC
On view are rarely seen late 19th-century silk quilts from the museum’s collection. These textiles tell a little known story about American industry, art, fads, and marketing. The quilts were made to be seen rather than slept under and were sometimes called “parlor throws.”
