Rug and Textile Appreciation Morning: The American Coverlet and Its Role in the Digital Age
Figured coverlets are a distinctive form of woven textile produced in North America between 1820 and 1880. Created for warmth, durability and beauty, they also reflected household pride and regional identity, with motifs drawn from many cultures.
Produced during the Industrial Revolution, these textiles were woven on looms fitted with the Jacquard attachment, invented in 1804. Using punched cards, the Jacquard system enabled weavers to create complex patterns, words and numbers directly into the fabric. Clients often collaborated with weavers to personalize motifs and inscriptions, making each coverlet a record of a particular person, place and moment in American history.
In this talk, collector and conservator Harold Mailand explores the artistic and cultural significance of figured coverlets while examining the broader historical importance of the Jacquard system. The binary logic of weaving anticipated the punched-card technology later used in early data processing and modern computing. In this way, textile production is linked to the origins of today’s digital world and even artificial intelligence.
About the Display
For many early immigrants to the United States, weaving skills provided a crucial economic foothold in their adopted homeland. Their experience allowed them to master new technologies to produce fabrics such as the coverlet, a distinctive type of bedcover unique to the United States. A display of three coverlets, on loan to the museum in honor of America’s 250th birthday, reflects the personal expressions and artistic innovation of immigrant weavers. Learn more about the display
About Harold Mailand
From 1976 to 1977, Harold F. Mailand apprenticed with four leading textile conservators at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Smithsonian Institution and The Textile Museum. In 1986 he founded Textile Conservation Services in Indianapolis. He is the author of many titles and an international lecturer. Mailand has presented on preservation issues throughout the United States and in England, Italy, Germany, Canada and Switzerland. His passions include architectural preservation and collecting objects that illuminate artistic and historic storylines.
How to Participate
This program is free and open to the public. You can join us in person at the museum or watch the livestream online. Please register in advance and choose how you would like to participate. We will email virtual attendees a link and instructions for joining via Zoom. When you register, you can also request to receive a reminder email one day before the program with the link included.
About Rug and Textile Appreciation Mornings
Collectors and experts discuss textile topics and display examples from their personal holdings. This series is named in honor of late Textile Museum trustee emeritus, Harold M. Keshishian. Browse upcoming programs
Additional Information
Photos and/or videos of attendees of this program may be taken and shared on social media, websites or marketing materials. Please contact [email protected] if you have questions about photography or recordings at this program.