Our community is fortunate to have a dedicated group of historical preservationists and volunteers who maintain a number of living farms, museum houses and even a restored one room schoolhouse. Yesterday the Durant-Peterson House and the Prairie Shoals schoolhouse were open for tours. Linda Saxer and her well-trained docents demonstrate living skills from the mid 1800's. This is the barn loom that stands in the back corner of a room that was added on to the original home sometime after 1843. The loom is position between two windows, one facing east and one facing north. This provides the necessary daytime light with which to work. The loom is beautifully constructed, and make for a lovely image of wood, warp and weft.
6 comments:
interesting that this is in a museum. I've seen looms very similar to this in operation in Tibet, Pakistan, and India...
Welcome back, you've been very very missed!
These looms were used by pioneer women. When the industrial revolution hit, the looms were relegated to museums and fine art studios. Like you said Raul, in non-industrialized societies they are still in use.
I was just cruising looking for interesting pics etc. of barnlooms and found this site.
Question:
I see that the loom has four harnesses but can only see two treadles. Are there four treadles?
I restore looms for musuems and myself, and am researching Long Island looms currently. I am always on the lookout for things I have yet to see,
Kathryn
I recently acquired a barn loom like this one but it isn't in workable condition yet. Can anybody tell me how to hook up the pulleys and lams to the treadles? I have searched everywhere but can find no definite instructions. This loom is pre-Civil War and looks just like your picture.
Pat, I suggest you contact me and my partner Kate, at Eatonhilltextiles.com. Kate is the expert on barn looms and has been doing authentic period reproduction work on them for museums and collectors for years. I am a woodworker and have learned quite a bit about repairing and outfitting barn looms in the past few years. Hope to hear from you.
Peter Fischer.
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