I have a ginormous tablecloth with monstrously huge napkins (perhaps 
not as huge as yours) from my grandmother. This set is probably a 
good bit later than yours considering she was born at the end of the 
1800s.

With it being c. 1860s, I wonder if they might be not napkins but the 
cloths that were laid under each place setting in the early 1800s (My 
source? The Regency-period British reality series. Nothin' but the 
best scholarship here. :-) )

---Amy West

PS The tablecloth and napkins are much too huge for my own personal 
use. I don't suppose I could donate them to some historic house from 
the 1800s with a huge table needing coverage?

>Date:    Wed, 28 Dec 2005 17:38:53 -0500
>From:    Claire Kuhlmann <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: colossal napkins
>
>Our curator was recently sifting through accession records and came across
>one that documented a set of 12 damask napkins monogrammed "WLJ" c.1860s. 
>The peculiar thing is that they apparenlty measure 50 inches by 22 inches. 
>As they are in storage in an upstate facility we do not know what they look
>like in person.  We were wondering if anyone could offer some insight.  Are
>they really napkins or are they small tablecloths? In order to avoid signs
>of wear and tear would they have rotated a set of 12 tablecloths? If they
>are napkins, do larger napkins of this size and time period have a special
>name?  Are there others that exist of this size and proportion?  Any help
>would be much appreciated.
>
>Claire Kuhlmann
>Education Coordinator
>John Jay Homestead State Historic Site

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