Our April object of the month is this Bates educational poster titled “The Creation of a Woven Bedspread.” Most likely from the 1950s, the poster provides a step-by-step guide to the intricate process of producing a bedspread from raw cotton. It covers each production stage, from the cotton’s arrival at the mills to the final packing of the finished product. This poster was initially used to educate both employees and consumers. It would have hung in the Bates factories and stores that sold Bates products. If you’re interested in learning more about how Bates produced their bedspreads for over a hundred years, we invite you to visit our permanent gallery.