Drop the Handkerchief

 Our September 2013 speaker Elizabeth Banham gave us a most fascinating talk and power point presentation on the history of handkerchiefs. 

Early handkerchiefs were made of reeds or flax, the only material available at the time. A great deal of early information on the subject can be obtained from paintings and statues from the appropriate period. 

In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries handkerchiefs were used as love tokens and later when taking snuff was a popular habit, handkerchiefs were large and made of dark coloured material to hide tobacco stains. 

In 1688, maps were printed on material instead of paper as they lasted much longer, and bringing this up-to-date, in World War 2; road maps of Germany were printed on extremely fine fabric, which could be folded small enough to fit into a hollowed out pencil. These were to assist escapees and airmen to escape from prisoner of war camps. 

In Victorian times, middle class women valued fine needlework, and some magnificently designed and embroidered handkerchiefs from this era are valuable collectables. The heavy ornamentation on some, gave rise to the saying a lady needed two handkerchiefs - one to blow and one to show. A handkerchiefs language arose at balls and gatherings - various positions of the handkerchief were signals to attract a beau. 

The general size of handkerchiefs has lessened. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries they were about 24 inches square - often to be used as clothes and scarves but by 1900, the size had generally become 12 inches square. They were so popular a sales item, that many stores had special counters devoted to their sale. More recently, disposable tissues are considered easier and healthier than the traditional handkerchief. 

Handkerchiefs were of many types: 

• Educational: Alphabet and figures printed on them for children as a learning aid. Disney characters for fun. 
• Mourning: Handkerchiefs with willow designs and other mourning signs were often buried with caskets. 
• Bridal: Special embroidered handkerchiefs were an accessory for brides. 
• Souvenir: Farewell hankies, often from Scotland with tartan borders. 
• Commemorative: These were often produced for a special occasion - a royal tour, royal birth or a centenary of a place or the end of a war. Special Boer War handkerchiefs were very popular at the time. 
• Advertising: Many special handkerchief editions were made for watchmakers, petrol stations and other boxes handkerchiefs made as novelties. 

We would like to thank Elizabeth for introducing us to a topic, many of us had never thought of, with a rich historic background. 

Source: 2014-06 DTHS Newsletter