One of the things we at AntiqueKitchen.com are always seeking at estate auctions are the 1940’s and 1950’s colorful printed tablecloths. These came into fashion during the post-depression years as companies like Proctor & Gamble, for instance, inserted such premiums inside soap boxes to entice the homemaker to buy their product.
Thus these table linens became a symbol of the mid-century kitchen leaving an indelible memory in the minds of the kids of this era. In a recent issue of AntiqueWeek.com, a newspaper which caters to the antique and vintage buyer, there was a feature article on such tablecloths which we share here with permission.
Reprinted with permission from the June 8, 2009 issue of AntiqueWeek, Tomorrow’s Antiques column.
VINTAGE TABLECLOTHS ADD COLOR
By Kathy McKimmie
If you’re willing to do a little extra in the laundry department, vintage printed tablecloths will reward your effort. There’s a vintage tablecloth to go with any entertaining occasion, from formal to flamingos, from florals to fruit. Of course, holiday cloths are another popular category for collectors, particularly Christmas.
A good place to learn more is from The Vintage Tablecloth Lovers Club, formed in 2002 for enthusiasts for the printed cloths from the 1930s to 1950s. It is an offshoot of a group of 15 that participated in live chats on eBay with Pam Glasell, author of “Collector’s Guide to Vintage Tablecloths,” Schiffer. Now there are 175 members from the U.S. and Canada.
Members have varied interests, said Holly Pawlowski, vice president of the club. “Some of us just love the Wilendurs or Broderies. Other favorites are the state souvenirs. Whimsical and novelty cloths are always sought after. And I think almost everyone loves florals, especially roses.”
Collectors are very passionate about the vintage cloths, she said. “We feel they are truly works of art. We are so fortunate that so many survived. And it is our goal to continue to preserve them for future generations while being able to enjoy them. They are relatively easy to find and don’t have to be expensive. It’s easy to start a collection!”
Visitors to the club’s website will get some great information and tips, much of it provided by Glasell. For instance, a 60in by 60in cloth is likely a reproduction, because vintage cloths were typically 50in or 54in wide. And although some of the coolest and most plentiful souvenir tablecloths were bought by folks vacationing in the sunny states of Florida and California, cloths from states without much of a tourist trade (like the Dakotas, Kansas and Ohio) can be among the priciest—as high as $375. Glasell also wrote “Vintage Souvenir Tablecloths & Linens,” Schiffer.
Resources: The Vintage Tablecloth Lovers Club, www.vintagetableclothsclub.com.
Pamela Glasell’s website, www.gramasattic.net.
In the 1940’s and 1950’s as folks were struggling to deal with and then recover from World War II, lots of moms went to work out of sheer necessity as the husbands and the fathers went off to war. They worked both because they needed money and because of the need for workers.