Imagine riding in an open sleigh when the mercury is hovering below freezing. In 19th-century Maine, this wasn’t a hypothetical concept, but a winter reality.

People got around by using sleighs and carriages, and when winter hit and travel couldn’t be avoided, they made do by piling blankets on their laps.

Tonight, an exhibition opens at the Sanford-Springvale Historical Society Museum featuring 20 locally produced carriage robes dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The exhibit will remain on view through early summer.

“After 1900, automobiles began to be slowly manufactured, but it didn’t cut too sharply into robe sales because the automobiles didn’t have any heat,” said Harland Eastman, director of the Sanford-Springvale Historical Society. “People had to have carriage robes in that day; whether you were in a carriage, a sleigh or a closed carriage, it was freezing cold.”

Most people no doubt used whatever blankets they had available in the house. But for those who could afford something finer, a mohair plush carriage robe was the way to go.

Until the 1880s, these blankets, created from the wool of Angora goats, could only be purchased from manufacturers in England and Germany, who closely guarded their manufacturing techniques.

But in 1883, the Sanford Mills, owned by the Goodall family, began selling their own mohair plush blankets with colorful stencil decorations on the front. These are the blankets that will be on view at the museum.

They come from a 74-piece collection that the museum acquired from Paul Lehoux of Cornish, who has been collecting carriage robes for years. Each robe measures roughly 5-feet-square, and features animal motifs such as horses, dogs and deer.

“There’s no way of knowing the age of any particular robe; they were never dated,” Eastman said. “Some had designs that were used year after year because they were popular.”

Eastman said that although a few have holes or areas of wear, most are in excellent condition. “They were very, very well made, so their durability accounts for them being in such good condition after a century,” he said.

Today, the old Sanford Mills complex remains mostly empty. But at its height, the mill employed 5,000 people, and the mohair plush fabric was a popular choice for furniture and drapes. At one point, all Pullman train cars featured mohair plush upholstery from the Sanford Mills.

And for those who could afford them, a mohair plush carriage robe was the ultimate in luxury on a cold winter’s night.

Staff Writer Avery Yale Kamila can be contacted at 791-6297 or at:

akamila@pressherald.com

Twitter: AveryYaleKamila