Swatch
Item
Title
Swatch
Date
1901 (probably)
Dimensions
18 3/4 x 10 3/8 inches
Credit line
Collection of Drs. Cynthia and Timothy McGinn
Description
Amongst the items that descended in the family from Gustav Stickley, this is one of three fabric swatches that are a bit of a mystery. Unmarked–and unlike anything he retailed–their size and construction shed little light on what they are and for what purpose they were made. The closest analogy to these swatches is a coverlet or bedspread that Stickley photographed on Bedstead (no. 620) in The Craftsman in January 1902, and which was subsequently illustrated in his retail plates from 1902. While the pattern from that bedspread does not match any of the three known pieces that remain, the weight of the fabric, the geometric patterning of the weave, and the fringe on these swatches is consonant with the textile in that photograph. While we may never know the purpose of these swatches with complete certainty, their relationship to the bedspread makes it likely these were samples designed to show the quality and range of their maker's offerings.