Over the past year, Peladeau's groundbreaking research has created the first show of its kind in the country to celebrate the Waldoboro hooked rug. Guest curator Mildred C. Peladeau of Readfield, Me. has chosen authentic to enigmatic pieces to offer an understanding of what constitutes a Waldoboro or Waldoboro-type rug in terms of textile, design, motif, hooking technique, texture, color and provenance. The works are characterized by central ovals, borders, lush floral, basket, leaf, wreath, fruit, animal, scroll and geometric motifs in clipped or unclipped, raised designs and shadings. Through newly-discovered documentation merged with old legends and myths, we hope to more accurately define the rug that has come to be known for the unusual beauty of its workmanship as the Waldoboro. While the origins of the Waldoboro rug remain obscure, the craft of hooking is generally considered by scholars to be an indigenous American folk art originating in Maine or the Canadian Maritimes.
Social attitudes make the field of hooking difficult to document.
That makes it hard to pin down dates. While documentation is scarce, Peladeau found in reports a glimpse into rug hooking activity. The first clue came from reports on an event sponsored by the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association. This modeling, or sculpting, quickly sets Waldoboro rugs apart from other styles of hooked rugs. Rug makers used woolen strips for backgrounds and for large areas that did not require fine details, while using yarn for finer details.