Greetings, I have been reading the previous post that I can find regarding wool blankets. I have some further questions about color. There seems to be a variety of colors that were used, everything from fairly bright solids to light off white with stripes. I would like to find something subdued in a darker earth tone (not olive green) that would be period correct but not catch they eye or show much dirt.
So, would the darker earth tone say maybe some shade of brown be period correct and can anyone point to any examples? Thanks, Josh
Posts: 19 | Location: ohio | Registered: 31 October 2011
Most of my blankets are witneys and they are for warmth also. If you want point blankets either find a witney or get a Hudson bay in green black stripe. I do have one of Northwest traders hand woven blankets which is period cvorrect green and black alternating stripes. It is warm and would not be likely to catch someones eye. Since my blankets are in a cover it doesn't matter what color they are, but it is important that they are correct for period 1800 - 1840. Bedding is not a place to pinch pennys. Hansen and Potters "Encyclopedia of Trade Goods" vol. 4, "Textiles of the Fur Trade" will give you all the info you need on period patterns.
I took a white blanket with a black stripe, and died it brown, and now it's my trekking blanket. I use dark blue a lot, as well as brown and black, and even gray. In fact I'm sewing a pair of gray breeches from gray blankets right now.
LD
It's not what you know, it's what you can prove
Posts: 3843 | Location: People's Republic of Maryland | Registered: 10 November 2004
Yo J_D, are you worried about human eyes, or animal? I was curious a few years back, so I did an experiment which opened my eyes. (Argh!) I had a friend take a photo of me in my bright red blanket shirt in a field. I stood out like a sore thumb, but then I converted the photo to sepia (as close as I could get to black & white) because everything I've read says that's the spectrum seen by most game animals. (Birds are supposed to see colors. I don't know; I've never asked one.) I was amazed at how completely the bright red faded into the background colors. In fact, it turns out blue stands out really well in b&w, which is yet another reason to keep new blue jeans out of the bush. (Yeah, they're noisy too.) So nowadays I'm usually wearing red when I'm running through the bush. I can still hide from the animals, but be seen by other hunters. And I always figger it's better to be aimed at and kilt than shot by accident and winged. That's all I have to say bout that.
Posts: 61 | Location: Edmonton, Alberta | Registered: 16 March 2011
I've done simaler experiments n found once that pretty newness has been exposed to rain,snow,sunlight, daily dust etc it really starts to blend in better no matter what the color. Sure , standing in the open brightly colored items will stand out but stepping into the brush n hunkering down breaks up the outline n folks today wouldn't even notice ya. If you look at a landscape, I mean Really look ,the colors you see are across the board. Shades of green n brown sure but also silvers,blacks,greys,yellows ,oranges, blueish, all sorts of variety. IMHO movement way more then color gets ya noticed. As for correct blanket colors white, madder reds would be most prevalent but other colors such as blues, yellows n shades of green have been documented. Best to research the region your character comes from n go from there, there were regional differences to colors, style, decoration etcThis message has been edited. Last edited by: Birdman61,
Like it or not, what's "period correct" is white. White with colored stripes at the ends. BY FAR the most common types of 18th century blankets, with the occasional blue or red blanket or other odd color thrown in. Checked (plaid) blankets seem to have been somewhat common too... but not in camo colors. 19th century blankets seem to be little different, but that is definitely not my area of expertise... assuming I have any anyway...
I say all this, though I, myself, am reverting to a full-on, walnut brigade position. I have my good white/striped blankets, but I have gray and brown ones too. This message has been edited. Last edited by: Stophel,
Posts: 48 | Location: Kentucky | Registered: 02 August 2011
I knew I had read this but forgot where it was. From the 1837 Sketchbook of the Western Fur Trade, page 21. (This is a study of A. J. Millers sketches.
"Many blankets are shown in Miller's work, most being red or blue. "Bars" are seldom shown, but blankets with stripes along their lengths are commonly shown Saddle blankets are usually shown with broad stripes."
Iche Iia
"Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he's too old to fight, he'll just kill you."
Posts: 379 | Location: Prince George, Virginia | Registered: 04 April 2010
Can't cite sources, but I've understood from various kinds or reading, including trader inventories, that while white or white with a black or blue stripe were quite common, colors were also popular. Sometimes it seems that one tribe or village preferred one color over others. Or maybe that was just what their trader had to sell them. Red, green, blue, and white seem to be most often listed on inventories, though it's a long time since I've looked it up.
Ah, but was it "our" white? Sure I've seen the artwork of the Canadian fellow in his white coat with light blue stripes, but I wonder what they called white was simply "natural" wool, and would today be called more like cream or off white? Was it the default color as it was cheaper not to dye it anything once it came off the sheep and was spun into yarn and woven???
LD
It's not what you know, it's what you can prove
Posts: 3843 | Location: People's Republic of Maryland | Registered: 10 November 2004
The white would be as white as the sheep was white.
Generally an "off-white", the tone is naturally going to vary. The original blankets I have seen are quite in line with the natural white colored blankets we have today, of course. My modern made white blankets are all different. One is nearly pure white, others are "cream", and one is nearing beige. Just the colors of the sheep.
Why dye? It was just a blanket, most never left the bed at home, it really didn't need to be camo, dye cost more, and people seemed to be happy with the white color. In the 18th century at least, white (or off-white) usually with red or blue (possibly black ?)stripes at each end was far and away the most common blanket type, no matter the origin, it seems. Rose blankets were white and may or may not have a stripe, as I recall, and had coarsely embroidered "roses" (more like a sunburst design) on the corners. They also did checked blankets, either a checkerboard type or windowpane type, I have only seen blue and white. I would really like a checked blanket, myself, but haven't seen anything that looked sufficiently 18th century for me so far. I have some period images of more complicated designs, but these wouldn't be common man blankets. Indians in the 18th century were painted wearing red blankets (though I believe all of these I have seen were painted by a specific artist in England and the visiting Indian chiefs were all painted wearing the exact same red blanket and accouterments!). I remember reading some period account of someone with a sky blue capote (blanket coat), so different colors... meaning mostly red or blue, were around.
Posts: 48 | Location: Kentucky | Registered: 02 August 2011
I remember reading some period account of someone with a sky blue capote (blanket coat), so different colors... meaning mostly red or blue, were around.
There is an account repeated by Mark A. Baker in ML Magazine of one of the Kentuckians, about to surprise a native camp, wearing a blue blanket coat of which he was quite proud. Not Boone or Kenton, but I can't remember his name.