Frankie Welch (1924-2021) was an American designer and businesswoman best known for producing thousands of custom scarves. Born in Rome, Georgia, she spent most of her career in Alexandria, Virginia, where she established a dress shop—Frankie Welch of Virginia—that was open from 1963 to 1990. She introduced her first scarf design, the Cherokee Alphabet, in 1967, quickly followed by her Discover America scarf for the White House and prominent political designs for the 1968 presidential election. Her scarves are a unique body of work in the history of American fashion.

On March 26, 2022 the Hargrett Library hosted a family day highlighting the exhibit Frankie Welch's Americana: Fashion, Scarves, and Politics on display through July 8, 2022 in the Hargrett Library Gallery. 

Check out the activities and videos below to learn more about this exhibit. To see more original items from the collection, visit the digital version of the exhibit here. 

Activities