Life April 9 1951 Page 142/143

MODERN LIVING 

Revolution in Carpets 

A NEW RAYON NEW DESIGNS AND NEW METHODS ARE  SWEEPING OUT OLD STYLES 

continued on page 145

Within a century there have been two carpet revolutions in the U.S. The first came in 1839, when Erastus B. Bigelow started work on the first power loom for carpets which made it possible for almost every family to own a parlor rug. The second revolution, after 10 years of experimenting, is now an accomplished fact. It is the perfection of carpet rayon, a material vastly superior to the rayon used during World War II. This spring, with wool scarce and costly, 20% of all new carpets are rayon or rayon blends. They cost less than wool but look as well and, by factory tests, wear as well. At the same time American carpet de signers have escaped the domination of Europe and the  Orient (see history, below) to develop native styles and colors (above). Today’s carpets, made by new methods (next page), reflect the current taste for neutral colors (cocoa is the newest shade) and for casual living (informal "ranch style" carpets are abundant) and for practical performance are textured so dirt and footprints do not show. 

FOOT TEST is being given to Magee's Rancheria, wool carpet, $13.50 sq. yd. A good carpet is thick and springy, does not retain footprint. 

NEWEST AMERICAN DESIGNS are shown here. From left to right are: Lorain, all rayon carpet, made by Archibald Holmes & Son, $10.00 sq. yd. (in wool it would cost $16.00) ; Easier Living, designed by Russel Wright, cotton carpet woven on a standard Wilton loom, $15.00 sq. yd., Artloom Carpet Co.; October, by Edward Wormley, all wool, $13.95 sq. yd., Alexander Smith & Sons; Modern Magic, wool and rayon blend, $14.95 sq. yd., James Lees & Sons; El Pueblo, wool, $16.50 sq. yd., C. H. Masland & Sons; Marimba, rayon, $9.95 sq. yd., Bigelow-San- ford; Tomato Patch, wool fortified with vinyl, Firth Carpet , Co., $13.50 sq. yd.; wool Cloisonne, A. & M. Karagheusian, $24.50 sq. yd.; Mohawk's Modern Mode, wool chenille, $25.95 sq. yd. 

GARISH TURKISH carpets, woven on narrow looms with the strips then sewn together, were most popular from 1895-1904.

FLORAL DESIGNS, imitating English carpets and given to great violence in color, were best sellers from about 1905-10.

CHINTZ patterns of English or French derivation, with wide decorative borders, were considered stylish from 1905-18.

PICTORIAL RUGS were among the early native carpet designs. Birds, Indian tepees were popular from 1927-29. 

ORIENTALS woven in America spanned the '30s. At same time plain-color broadloom became a style. "

MODERN CHINESE was also favored in the '30s. The washed Chinese luster was imitated by machine. 

HOOKED DESIGNS, one more stirring of the American spirit, ushered in borderless rug; sold well from 1934-39. 

TWEEDY RUGS of German origin began fad for a textured look in rugs in mid-'30s, spelled end of craze for antique luster. 

MODERNISTIC RUG-the first of its kind to sell well-was copied from a German original. Its best years, from 1932-35.

AMERICAN FLORAL, introduced in 1946, is precursor of the current carpet styles with its muted colors, over-all pattern. 

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The average price of a new home then was $9000 about 2.56 times the yearly average wage of $3510. Which was about 2.34 times the price of a new car $1500. Today?