January 6, 2026 - Tuesday - Today we were in Santa Ana, CA to see the new exhibit at the Bowers Museum called "Global Threads: India’s Textile Revolution." Featuring pieces from the world renowned collection of the Royal Ontario Museum and several important international loans, this ROM-original exhibition explores how over thousands of years India’s artisans have created, perfected and innovated these printed and painted multicolored cotton fabrics.
There are several videos playing showing how labor intensive this process is.
If you magnify the picture below, you'll see the major steps taken to process the fabric, which is called "chintz."
These two 1770 dresses were made in England from Indian chintz. When England started to manufacture their own chintz, it was regarded as a cheap imitation, or "chintzy."
This liner was made for the underside of a straw hat.
This chintz jacket is a standout.
Before the museum, we had brunch at Norm's.
I had what they call their "Four Deuces."
Judy had their open face turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes, gravy and cranberry.
She also had room for a chocolate malt.
