The Nichols House Museum’s beloved Flemish Tapestry that has taken pride of place in the parlor of the townhouse since the museum opened to the public in the 1960s, has recently taken a remarkable journey.
The tapestry was purchased by the Nichols family in Paris in the early 1900s and had been displayed at both 55 Mount Vernon St., and the family’s summer home in Cornish, N.H.
Last July, the tapestry left Beacon Hill to travel to the Textile Conservation Laboratory (TCL) at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York City, the only conservation studio in the U.S. that could accommodate the tapestry’s 10-by-12-foot dimensions. It returns to the Nichols House this week and will be celebrated at the Spring Fete on June 3.
Last summer, the tapestry was removed from the parlor and carefully packed for transport by conservator Deirdre Windsor of Windsor Conservation and a team from Maquette Fine Art Services for shipment to New York. Once received at TCL, the conservation process was initiated with the removal of the tapestry’s lining, followed by a thorough inspection and photographic documentation of its condition. The tapestry was then hand-vacuumed to remove loose dirt and debris, followed by wet cleaning in a bath of deionized water with conservation-grade detergents. This process not only cleaned the tapestry but, just as importantly, re-hydrated and pH-balanced its fibers.
After wet cleaning, the tapestry was rinsed, dried, and placed on a gentle tensioner for the stitching and stabilization of weak areas. By far the most time-consuming part of the process, the repair of slits and other weak or damaged areas in the tapestry’s silk-and-wool weave, required painstaking and methodical work by a team of practiced textile conservators. Slits were closed using cotton yarn, support patches were carefully applied where necessary, and past repairs were reinforced.
“The medieval motif tapestry is believed to be the oldest object in the Museum’s collection,” explained Linda Marshall, executive director of the Nichols House, “and this is the largest single object conservation project that the Museum has undertaken. Given the Nichols family’s devotion to this historic textile, and our visitors’ affection for the real and imagined animals that are depicted in it, we are happy to see it return to permanent display in the parlor for the enjoyment of our visitors for years and years to come.”
Please join Nichols House friends and supporters on June 3, at the Museum’s annual Spring Fete fundraiser, to celebrate the tapestry’s return and thank some very special donors for their support of this important project. The evening will include cocktails in the garden, a silent auction with many exciting items including stays in London and Tuscany, and a gin tasting with Shortpath Distillery.
Visit https://www.nicholshousemuseum.org/events/spring-fete-2026/ to purchase tickets.