-
The birth of linen as a textile occurred in Ancient Egypt. It was used as the burial garment for mummies. -
The Babylonians are credited with starting the linen trade. -
During the Middle Ages, linen was used for bedding, tablecloths, and towels. -
Linen was brought to the Americas by settlers. Many colonists started growing flax to produce linen. They used it to make clothes. -
Linen is made from flax, which has to be harvested and processed. In the 1830’s, mechanical machines were invented to prepare flax to be produced into linen. -
Linen is primarily a niche product that remains in production to manufacture a handful of textile products (clothes, bedsheets, etc). It is more expensive to produce than cotton, so it is not as common.