My Newest Handkerchief Finds

I have added to my collection these past weeks. First a friend notified me of a local garage sale with 4 for a $1 hankys! I bought eight. Then I bought two from an antique mall while vacationing 'up north'. Last of all I brought home three shared by one of the gals in my quilting group.

 The brown floral is a heavy cotton fabric.

 The checked above is linen. The concentric squares below is 8" and cotton.

This "F" initial handkerchief was hand appliqued and hand rolled. She used white thread for the hand rolled edge. The fabric is linen in a dark navy. The white is the background showing under the camera light.

This cotton pink floral one has a hand tatted edge. I find quite a few printed hankys that ladies embellished with tatting. Most common are white cotton or linen with fancy, deep crocheted edges.

This sweet cotton hanky has a hand appliqued, scalloped border.

 A cool graphic linen hanky is likely from the 1960s.

 I bought four sheer nylon hankys. I have below the three printed ones; the dotted Swiss didn't photograph well.

 And this one below is hand painted silk.

 This 1986 hanky came with a paper lady holder.

The summer is still young! Who knows what yard sales, flea markets, and thrift shops await!

Children's Handkerchiefs

Children's handkerchiefs are whimsical, sweet, educational, or representative of child life. I have a small collection.

This new hanky was bought at an Amish store

A hanky about 100 years old with a tale of pirates on the seas

Tom Lamb was a popular artist

another Tom Lamb

The whole tale of Puss in Boots on one hanky!

A 19th c handkerchief teaching about birds

A German folk character on 100 year old hanky

Tom Lamb

1880s hanky

Nostalgic Images on Mid-Century Handkerchiefs

Burmel Gay 90s Hanky

The Twentieth Century nostalgia for Early America and the Gay 90s was manifested in handkerchief design in the 50s and 60s.  Technology and social changes were happening so quickly that people's thoughts hearkened back to perceived 'simpler times.' 

Some of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes have persons longing for the olden days, like "A Stop At Willoughby" in which a "Mad Man" ad man feels such stress he fantasizes about a train stop to an 1888 town.



My family all decorated in the Colonial Revival style, not the Modern which is in revival today. A great article on the Americana revival in the 70 s can be found  here:
http://retrorenovation.com/2014/07/07/bicentennial-chic/

Here are some examples from my collection.

Pat Prichard used Early American signs in these hanky designs.

In another series Prichard used turn-of-the century kitchen images, like the cast iron stove in the hanky below.

 Old clocks and time pieces are also found on handkerchiefs of this time period.

Jeanne Miller

We were nostalgic for old forms of transportation. 

Pat Prichard

Pat Prichard

Pat Prichard

Quaint baby buggies from yesteryear by Pat Prichard.

Tammis Keefe was a prolific designer in the 1960s. 

Tammis Keefe

Tammis Keefe

Erin O'Dell's design with antique furniture was not far different from what Tammis Keefe was doing ten years earlier.

 High button boots and an old time cash register on another Pat Prichard hanky.

Old fashioned keys were another motif found in several designs like this one by Faith Austen.

 I love this nostalgic kitchen scene series.

 I made a wall hanging with a hanky from this series.

Farm and small town life was another favorite theme.

Betty Anderson

Tammis Keefe's wooden Indians salute a ship's masthead woman.

I love this Tammis Keefe hanky with sailors in the rigging of an old sailing ship.

And here the sailors are dancing the Hornpipe.

Learn more about Tammis Keefe here.