Umbrellas and Confetti

Ever wonder what a wedding in the past might have been like?

Art and Decoration in Crepe and Tissue Paper by Dennison Manufacturing Co. gives us a view into 1917 . . . of what guests might have seen at a wedding or shower.

Shower guests might have seen a rose petal umbrella used as a “gift holder.”  The umbrella held the shower gifts—“The gifts may be concealed in the top or in a pan at the bottom. Gifts are drawn forth one at a time by narrow ribbons.” 

Wedding guests might have seen lily baskets, orange blossom baskets with square handles, or bell cups. Bridesmaids might have held accessories for confetti. One of the ideas is a double fan which holds the confetti between the fan’s ruffles. Another idea is holding the confetti in a tulip wand. The stem of the tulip wand is made of a wooden dowel decorated with crepe paper. 

More wedding and shower related images from Art and Decoration in Crepe and Tissue Paper can be found on the Galaxy of Images.  This catalog and other trade catalogs by Dennison Manufacturing Co. are located in the Trade Literature Collection at the National Museum of American History Library.

—Alexia MacClain

Dennison Manufacturing Co., Framingham, MA.  Art and Decoration in Crepe and Tissue Paper, 1917, page 31, Bridal Shower Suggestions.