ABSTRACT
Drapery is a chiefly North American term, to refer to all the window treatments, hangings and the loose fabric furnishings of a room. The term covers swags and tails; French drapery; irregular drapery; raised drapery; narrow festoons; looped-up drapery; flat or shaped valances; portieres; mantel drapes and scarves. The term drapery has also been used in conjunction with other words to explain usage. The 1895 Montgomery Ward retail catalogue listed Drapery Silk, ‘suitable for throws, sash curtains, mantel drapes, etc’, as well as ‘Drapery prints for furniture coverings or draperies’, and ‘Brass drapery chains for looping back and holding in place curtains, portieres, etc’. Then, again, in the summer season, blinds or curtains serve the really necessary purpose of excluding the sun’s rays. Health and enjoyment depend very much on light, but too much light is injurious to the objects on which it falls.
