Historical information

Marghab Linens Ltd. was a company specialising in table linens founded on Madeira in 1933 by British Cypriot Emile Marghab and his South Dakotan wife Vera (née Way); and disestablished in 1980.The company was also known as Emile Marghab Inc.
Since 1850, when Madeiran natives were introduced to hand embroidery as a means of industry, the islands had been renowned for their needlework. The Marghabs took advantage of this reputation, producing textiles that were skilfully hand-embroidered on the highest quality Irish linen and a form of organdie called Margandie, made in Switzerland, and harder wearing than usual organdie. The linens were designed by Vera, and hand-embroidered as a home industry by the women on Madeira, who Vera insisted received payment per stitch - which for a single place mat could amount to seventy thousand stitches.
Made by Marghab, and sold at Georges store, Collins St., Melbourne.

Physical description

Cream linen with diagonal designs of flower heads in one corner of napkins and four corners of tray cloth. All edged in buttonhole stitch. Flower centres are dots of satin stitch.