From Shaker Clothes Pegs to Artisan Clothes Pins

One of the reason we revere the Shakers (United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing) is that in the process of creating Heaven on earth they invented many wonderful little items that we still find useful today.  One of those items was the clothes peg.  Attaching clothes to a line so that they dry smooth and evenly seems only common sense to us, but until  the Shakers in America invented the clothes peg, most people draped their wet clothes over bushes and other handy objects.  The Shaker clothes peg had no springs like the modern clothespin, but it works for most light weight clothes and sheets pretty well.

Handcrafted clothespins from Classic American Clothespins.

The spring loaded clothespin we know today was invented in the 19th century.  It was a staples of laundry day for generations.  Several American companies manufactured clothespins, but as has happened lately, they were forced out of business by cheap imported (Chinese) clothes pins that fall apart if you are not very careful with them. They also can fall apart on a windy day leaving your clean sheets in the grass. The wood is light weight and the springs are inferior. You need a lot of them to make sure your clothes stay on the line and once they break you cannot put them back together, but they are cheap.

Then in 2012 one husband finally listened to his wife's lament about the cheap clothespins she was forced to use and decided to do something about it.  The Classic American Clothespin Company was born out of the desperate need that often accompanies a new venture in this country. The Classic American Clothespin Company started selling hand crafted clothes pins in 2013.  These are artisan clothespins and if you are lucky enough to be able to buy any, they will cost you $2.00 a piece! However, the company is not greedy and is willing to sell you either a kit to assemble your own (also now sold out) and even the diagrams and instructions to hand craft your own from start to finish. Read all about it at www.classicamericanclothespins.com.

The evolution of the Shaker clothes peg.

Downton Abbey Style Graduation Dress

Louise Herrick's 1928 high school graduation dress.

Our Downton Abbey in America version 2 exhibit opened this month. The exhibit features Downton Abbey quality dresses of the 1920's all from the collection of the Warren County History Center.  The graduation dress in the above picture is made of silk satin with silk satin roses decorating the skirt and the left shoulder. This dress reminds us very much of the dress Lady Rose wore to be presented to the King and Queen of England.  Lady Rose's dress had the same drop waist with a gathered skirt, although her dress was floor length.