TEXARKANA, Ark. - While winter may just be around for a season, the apparel it inspires can often leave a lasting historical mark - and the last two centuries are no exceptions.
For the next two months - the deepest part of winter here - the Texarkana Museums System will present the "Cozy Winter Warmth" exhibit at the P.J. Ahern Home, featuring more then 50 seasonal textile artifacts, such as coats, over coats, hats, capes, cloaks, quilts, blankets and gloves made from a variety of material such as wool, fur, silk and satin.
The eras most touched by the exhibit include the late 19th and mid-20th centuries.
A display includes coat artifacts from 1959-60 on the first floor. The second floor contains the vast majority of winter wear and bedtime wrap-up items.
Some of the more note-worthy displays include a Merino wool coat from 1968, a fox fur collar coat from 1960, a green wool felt hat from 1962 and a white wool felt hat from 1955, along with a leopard hat from 1958 and a blue wool suit jacket lined in blue silk from 1915.
Other displays include men's dress hats from the 1950s, a pheasant feather hat from about 1955 and a ladies' wool felt opera cloak from about 1890, in addition to lady's walking coat from about 1900.
As for warm sleeping covers some the eye-catching quilts include a postage stamp quilt and a flying geese quilt, each from about 1920, and a World War I U.S. Army blanket from 1918.
Tours of display will continue through the next eight weeks at 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., and 4:25 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and at 2:30 p.m., and 4:25 p.m. Sundays through Feb. 28.
(For more information call 903- 793-4831.)