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Text by Ellen Gardner •
Photography by Borella & Company
MOST CHILDREN TODAY DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT A HANDKERCHIEF IS. But Judith Butler
grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, when every granny had a hankie tucked into her
sleeve, and children often carried lunch money tied up in little handkerchiefs
of their own.
She began selling vintage handkerchiefs as an offshoot of her
antique clothing business, The Butler’s Cottage. “You just would not believe how
many people collect them,” Judith says, adding that Christmas-related
handkerchiefs are extremely popular.
They’re also relatively inexpensive as
far as collectibles go. Judith sells most of her mid-20th-century handkerchiefs
in the $3 to $12 range at antique shows. “It’s nice to offer something everyone
can afford,” she says.
“PEOPLE BUY CHRISTMAS HANDKERCHIEFS FOR ALL SORTS OF REASONS,”
Judith says.
“I have one customer who arranges them as table runners
during the
holidays.”
Others dress up their tables by using the
handkerchiefs as dinner
napkins, placemats, or cocktail napkins. They
can also be used to wrap Christmas
gifts, “so you end up with a gift
within a gift,” she says.
Some even use
vintage hankies for their
original purpose. “They’re a lot more stylish than
tissues,” she notes,
“and they look nicer, too.”
Many collectors specialize. Some purchase only figural images
(such as the carolers (a)); others limit their
collections to
scalloped handkerchiefs hemmed with contrasting thread
(like the ones adorned
with stockings (b), and bells (c)
). Other
collectors, says Judith Butler, prefer
handkerchiefs with colored background
fabric (like the reindeer and
candy cane hankie (d)).
Handkerchiefs shown here (e), printed with poinsettias, holly, and other Christmas
motifs, were found in many a pocket-book from the 1940s through the
1960s.
Holiday Hankies page
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