﻿34Q 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  September, 
  1907 
  

  

  Curtains 
  and 
  Draperies 
  

  

  By 
  Delia 
  Austrian 
  

  

  ,HEN 
  glass 
  and 
  brocades 
  cover 
  the 
  windows 
  

   they 
  deprive 
  a 
  room 
  of 
  sunlight; 
  but 
  if 
  the 
  

   room 
  is 
  without 
  curtains 
  the 
  sunshine 
  is 
  

   often 
  so 
  strong 
  as 
  to 
  fade 
  the 
  carpet 
  and 
  

   furniture. 
  To 
  curtain 
  wisely 
  is 
  between 
  

   these 
  extremes; 
  the 
  tendency 
  to-day 
  is 
  to 
  

   have 
  the 
  curtain 
  simple. 
  In 
  early 
  days 
  cur- 
  

   tains 
  were 
  often 
  elaborate, 
  and 
  the 
  draping 
  of 
  them 
  no 
  easy 
  

   matter. 
  

  

  Early 
  inventions 
  of 
  household 
  furnishings 
  were 
  scarce, 
  but 
  

   curtains 
  were 
  among 
  the 
  earliest 
  kind 
  of 
  decorations. 
  The 
  

   Renaissance 
  and 
  the 
  expedition 
  of 
  Charles 
  VIII 
  into 
  Italy 
  

   made 
  them 
  more 
  general. 
  The 
  looms 
  of 
  Holland, 
  England, 
  

   and 
  France 
  were 
  kept 
  busy 
  weaving 
  materials 
  for 
  furniture 
  

   coverings 
  and 
  draperies. 
  Tapestries 
  decorated 
  the 
  walls 
  

   and 
  the 
  window 
  curtains 
  were 
  kept 
  in 
  harmony. 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  reign 
  of 
  Louis 
  XII, 
  the 
  materials 
  most 
  com- 
  

   monly 
  used 
  were 
  tapestry, 
  brocades, 
  and 
  velvets. 
  These 
  

   heavy 
  hangings 
  were 
  often 
  trimmed 
  with 
  braid, 
  lace, 
  and 
  

   fringes. 
  The 
  reign 
  of 
  Louis 
  XIV 
  gave 
  more 
  elaborate 
  deco- 
  

   rations 
  to 
  France. 
  The 
  furniture 
  was 
  exceedingly 
  elaborate, 
  

   and 
  the 
  cornices 
  for 
  the 
  curtains 
  were 
  made 
  to 
  harmonize. 
  

   The 
  windows 
  were 
  long 
  and 
  consisted 
  of 
  square 
  panes 
  in 
  a 
  

   long 
  sash". 
  Outside 
  the 
  window 
  there 
  was 
  usually 
  only 
  one 
  

   railing. 
  The 
  window 
  was 
  usually 
  decorated 
  with 
  one 
  cornice 
  ; 
  

   this 
  was 
  sometimes 
  simple, 
  but 
  more 
  often 
  it 
  was 
  carved 
  

   elaborately. 
  These 
  cornices 
  were 
  either 
  enameled 
  white 
  or 
  

  

  gilded 
  to 
  match 
  the 
  panels 
  and 
  doors, 
  and 
  were 
  ably 
  designed. 
  

   The 
  window-curtains 
  were 
  just 
  as 
  important 
  as 
  the 
  drap- 
  

   ings. 
  Those 
  curtains 
  next 
  to 
  the 
  panels 
  were 
  white, 
  made 
  

   of 
  laces, 
  embroideries, 
  and 
  India 
  muslin. 
  Over 
  these 
  were 
  

   hung 
  handsome 
  draperies 
  of 
  velvet 
  and 
  silk, 
  often 
  embroid- 
  

   ered 
  exquisitely 
  and 
  folded 
  with 
  care. 
  In 
  one 
  beautiful 
  suite 
  

   of 
  the 
  eighteenth 
  century, 
  the 
  room 
  was 
  furnished 
  in 
  jonquil- 
  

   colored 
  Lyons 
  brocade 
  embroidered 
  with 
  silver 
  flowers. 
  

   The 
  portieres 
  were 
  of 
  jonquil 
  taffeta 
  trimmed 
  at 
  the 
  top 
  with 
  

   silver 
  lace 
  or 
  braid, 
  while 
  the 
  bottom 
  was 
  ornamented 
  with 
  

   silver 
  fringe. 
  The 
  portieres 
  were 
  of 
  brocade 
  similarly 
  

   trimmed. 
  

  

  The 
  Persian 
  pattern 
  was 
  also 
  exceedingly 
  popular 
  at 
  this 
  

   time; 
  a 
  sort 
  of 
  figured 
  chintz 
  of 
  white 
  background 
  decorated 
  

   with 
  flowers 
  and 
  birds. 
  The 
  curtains 
  of 
  Madame 
  de 
  Pompa- 
  

   dour 
  were 
  always 
  elaborate 
  and 
  of 
  Oriental 
  pattern, 
  painted 
  

   with 
  little 
  figures 
  of 
  Chinese 
  images. 
  In 
  the 
  reign 
  of 
  Louis 
  

   XVI, 
  green 
  and 
  yellow 
  taffetas 
  were 
  the 
  prevailing 
  style; 
  

   these 
  curtains 
  were 
  usually 
  wadded 
  and 
  heavily 
  lined 
  to 
  give 
  

   a 
  stiff 
  appearance. 
  The 
  favorite 
  design 
  in 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  Marie 
  

   Antoinette 
  was 
  the 
  winding 
  ribbon 
  alternating 
  with 
  a 
  straight 
  

   stripe 
  and 
  sprinkled 
  with 
  delicate 
  flowers. 
  

  

  The 
  Directoire 
  banished 
  all 
  elaborate 
  trimmings; 
  the 
  key- 
  

   note 
  of 
  the 
  time 
  was 
  simplicity. 
  The 
  cornice 
  and 
  heavy 
  

   drapery 
  were 
  abolished, 
  and 
  their 
  place 
  was 
  given 
  to 
  a 
  thin 
  

   pole 
  and 
  a 
  light 
  silk 
  curtain. 
  Although 
  the 
  Empire 
  restored 
  

   the 
  gilded 
  cornice 
  and 
  the 
  silk 
  curtain, 
  neither 
  ever 
  regained 
  

  

  Flowered 
  Cretonne 
  Curtain 
  for 
  a 
  Living-room 
  

  

  Velvet 
  Portiere 
  for 
  the 
  Hall 
  

  

  