I have this book checked out from the library, and now have every intention of purchasing it, especially at the very good price on amazon.com. _Book of Fine Linen_ by Francoise Bonneville is available in an oversized hardbound, translated from the original French. It looks like a glossy coffee table Martha-Stewart tome with some pretty pictures and fluffy writing, but is actually a detailed history of bed and table linens from prehistory to the present. The book is packed with color photographs and period illustrations. Although the book is not footnoted, it does have a bibliography (about 1/3 of which are French resources), and mentions specific details instead of just making sweeping statements (ie, it gives examples from household inventories, sumptuary laws, and the like). It isn't something that I'd base a PhD thesis on, except as a starting point to look for other references, but the research gives me the impression of being pretty trustworthy (IMHO). It is also very readable, and has a nice glossary.
The book includes chapters on: the history of the trousseau, the history of care of linens (linen maids, soap, etc); a history of the use of linens (towels, sheets, matresses, tablecloths, etc); the manufacturing of linens, and embellishment of linens. Linens here includes not just linen, but also hemp, cotton, ramie, etc.
If you have interest in this sort of thing, I think this book is worth the $35, or you may be able to find it on ILL.
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posted 05-10-2004 03:21 PM
