Shop Vintage Beacon, Esmond, Pendleton Camp Blankets

Wrap Up In a Beacon Blanket !!

These Beacon Indian pattern blankets make good bed covers, sofa throws, wall art, table covers, jackets (damaged ones ), and much more. 

Beacon camp blankets are highly collectible and look good just stacked up or hung on an old ladder.

Beacon blankets were introduced in the early 1900's. Beacon blanket has become the generic name for many cotton blankets because not all blankets were made by the Beacon Manufacturing Company and the term Beacon blanket is used loosely. 

Another company producing these camp blankets was the Esmond Mills Company of Esmond, R.I. These too are highly collectible and one may find the tag on the edge still attached. 

Beacon blankets were introduced in the early 1900's. The Indian design camp blankets, as they are often called, were sold at stores like Sears Roebuck & Co., Montgomery Ward, W.T. Grant, J.C. Penny, dry good stores, and others as noted in the book Beacon Blankets Make Warm Friends by Jerry and Kathy Brownstein. They are easy to care for and are generally very washable.

Here's some good reading, along with great pictures on blankets that is recommended: 

Language of the Robe- Robert Kapoun, Chasing Rainbows-Barry Friedman, Beacon Blankets Make Warm Friends- Jerry and Kathy Brownstein.

 Note- a new book out 2014!! Still Chasing Rainbows - Collecting American Indian Trade & Camp Blankets by Barry Friedman.

I think of a Beacon blanket in "earlier" days as one that was used in the 1930's to the 60's,,(and that's part of my time era!!) that was used when traveling and thrown in the automobile just in case it was needed for covering up ... also for the bunk beds, cabin or children's room or for the guest that needed an extra cover or thrown on the sofa for warming up when drafty.

All blankets listed in this category will be cotton unless noted. They also come from a non smoking home and will usually have been cleaned as wet washed. There may be the occasional age spot or thin area, but these blankets aren't "new".

 One of the great features of these cotton camp blankets, they have good texture, are not usually scratchy, feel good next to the skin, and can be washed or dry cleaned if preferred.

Some collectors/clients like the blankets that have been used some and have that certain "feel", washed a few times, some fade and patina, but not abused, so not quite that "out of the box" feel and look. 

Buy what you like and you will enjoy it for years.

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