In about 1890, Rosamond Gibson redecorated the front hall of
her home at 137 Beacon Street. Her mother-in-law, with whom she had shared the
house for nearly seventeen years, had recently passed away. And in the thirty
years since the house was built, styles had changed. Rosamond selected an
embossed, gold-leaf wallpaper, called “Japanese Leather.” She also chose a luxe
red-on-red patterned Wilton carpet.
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| Wilton red-on-red pattern |
The carpet was manufactured by the Bigelow Carpet Company in
Clinton, Mass. Bigelow was a prominent name in carpets; the company’s founder,
Erastus Bigelow, developed the first power loom in America. His inventiveness
ultimately revolutionized the carpet industry, making quality carpets cheaper
and quicker to produce. By the late nineteenth century, Bigelow carpets were a
household name. Bigelow’s classic advertising campaign encouraged people to
consider purchasing a carpet for their home and business, “A Title on the Door
Rates a Bigelow on the Floor.”
The Wilton style of carpet that Rosamond selected was top of
the line. Traditional Wilton-weave carpets have a thick, cut pile that
resembles velvet. They were the most expensive to produce and served as a
status marker in many wealthy homes.
Rosamond’s carpet held up well, but after almost 130 years
of use, it became worn and faded. In 2016, the Museum’s Board of Directors,
with the help of several generous donors, undertook a project to reproduce a
new carpet for the Gibson House.
