Fire screen, 1780s
Fire screens protected those seated close to the fire from excessive heat and were an excellent surface to display the needle skills and taste of one of the ladies of the house.
Did you know? The popular notion that these protected women’s wax makeup is a myth. Few American women wore makeup—and it was not made with wax.
Wool thread, silk thread accents on canvas; mahogany frame. Gift of Evelyn Cole Peters 64.293