Was Betsy Ross the first with Roman Shades in her home in the U.S.?

On a recent vacation to historic Philadelphia we toured the Betsy Ross historic home.  In case you missed the history on her, Elizabeth Griscom Ross, known to most of us as Betsy Ross  (January 1, 1752 – January 30, 1836) was actually an American upholsterer who was credited by her relatives with making the second official U.S. flag, known as the Betsy Ross flag.

As we toured the tiny home I noticed the window coverings which looked a lot like what we now call “roman shades”.  She basically crafted an attractive way to drape fabric across the window for privacy and to add pretty décor.  This is what we would now call a “balloon” shade because of the balloon shapes at the hem.

This second one is unique to Betsy.  This looks sort of like a combination of what we call a “swag valance” and a shade in one.  It looks like you release the fabric on the left to cover the glass when necessary.  Very nice, Betsy!

Today’s Fabric Roman Shades are a bit less fussy, but still wonderfully functional with features such as motorization or a manual cordless lift, and fabric choices from plain to floral.