Domestic Furnishings

Tiffany Floor Lamp

Washboards, armchairs, lamps, and pots and pans may not seem to be museum pieces. But they are invaluable evidence of how most people lived day to day, last week or three centuries ago. The Museum's collections of domestic furnishings comprise more than 40,000 artifacts from American households. Large and small, they include four houses, roughly 800 pieces of furniture, fireplace equipment, spinning wheels, ceramics and glass, family portraits, and much more.

The Arthur and Edna Greenwood Collection contains more than 2,000 objects from New England households from colonial times to mid-1800s. From kitchens of the past, the collections hold some 3,300 artifacts, ranging from refrigerators to spatulas. The lighting devices alone number roughly 3,000 lamps, candleholders, and lanterns.

Resource Type: Quilts

1890 - 1910 Alma Starr's Pieced Quilt

Alma Baker Starr crafted this quilt in the “Wild Goose Chase” or “Odd Fellows’ Cross” pattern. The quilt is composed of a vast sampling of late 19th-century and early 20th-century fabrics.
Description
Alma Baker Starr crafted this quilt in the “Wild Goose Chase” or “Odd Fellows’ Cross” pattern. The quilt is composed of a vast sampling of late 19th-century and early 20th-century fabrics. Geometrics, florals, and polka-dots printed on cotton; plaids and florals printed on wool/cotton; florals printed on wool; solid colored wools; and silk and plain white cotton are all represented. The quilt has a white cotton lining and cotton filling. It is quilted to accentuate the pattern, seven stitches per inch.
Alma’s granddaughter, Alma Rosenbaum, donated the quilt in 1969. Her grandmother, Alma (nee Baker) Starr was born July 8, 1856, and died January 21, 1946, in Richfield Springs, New York.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1890-1910
maker
Starr, Alma Baker
ID Number
TE.T14866
catalog number
T14866
accession number
282099

1850 - 1875 Corwin Family's Pieced and Appliqued Quilt

Forty-two 8¾-inch blocks of pieced baskets with appliqued handles are set diagonally with 8¾-inch squares of roller printed cottons. These are framed with three 1½-inch borders.
Description
Forty-two 8¾-inch blocks of pieced baskets with appliqued handles are set diagonally with 8¾-inch squares of roller printed cottons. These are framed with three 1½-inch borders. The squares, one of the borders, and the binding are all the same small floral, roller-printed cotton. A squared spiral pattern (6 stitches per inch) was used for the quilting.
The quilt was in the Corwin family of Middle Hope, New York. Mother, Rachel Burr, and daughter, Celia, both have other needlework examples in the Collection.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T06882
accession number
115031
catalog number
T06882

1898 Lura Watkin's Pieced Quilt

Lura B. Thomas made this quilt for her 10-year-old granddaughter, Lura Woodside, in 1898. It was part of the contents, donated in 1953, of Lura Woodside’s late 19th-century child’s bedroom in Malden, Mass.
Description
Lura B. Thomas made this quilt for her 10-year-old granddaughter, Lura Woodside, in 1898. It was part of the contents, donated in 1953, of Lura Woodside’s late 19th-century child’s bedroom in Malden, Mass. Furnishings, children’s clothing and playthings were among the items donated. Like the quilt, most of the clothes and doll dresses were also made by Lura Thomas, who had been a professional dressmaker.
Lura Thomas pieced this quilt of triangles utilizing many different roller-printed and woven checked, plaid, and striped cotton fabrics. Two 2 1/2-inch triangles are joined into a square, and the squares are joined so that the triangles of the same print form a diagonal row. In the center of the quilt “Lura 98” is embroidered in yellow. The quilt has a cotton lining and filling. It is quilted in a chevron pattern at 7 stitches per inch.
The donor, Lura Woodside, was born in East Boston in 1887, and grew up in Malden, Mass. She married Charles Watkins in 1910. An antiques collector and authority on New England ceramics and glass, she published several books and scholarly articles. She was a founder of the Middleton (Massachusetts) Historical Society, and the Lura Woodside Watkins Historical Museum was named in her honor. She died in 1982. Her quilt, made by her grandmother, represents her lifelong interest in history and the sharing of that interest through her many museum donations.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1898
maker
Thomas, Lura B.
ID Number
TE.E393391
accession number
197232
catalog number
E393391

1844 Susan and Henry Underwood's Album Quilt Top

This album style quilt top belonged to Susan and Henry Underwood of Baltimore, Maryland. The quilt top is composed of twenty-five 17½-inch blocks. Seventeen are signed or initialed by Underwood family members and friends associated with the Methodist Church.
Description
This album style quilt top belonged to Susan and Henry Underwood of Baltimore, Maryland. The quilt top is composed of twenty-five 17½-inch blocks. Seventeen are signed or initialed by Underwood family members and friends associated with the Methodist Church. Susan and Henry were married in the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore on August 5, 1830.
Album quilts, so popular in the mid-19th century, were frequently made by groups of women for presentation to a friend or relative upon a special occasion or as a token to honor a highly regarded member of the community. The blocks on this quilt top include traditional pieced and appliqued patterns, and original designs. One block is dated and inscribed: “I love to see the falling leaf/ To watch the waning moon/ I love to cherish the belief/ That all will change so soon/ Henry Johnson/Baltimore March 9th/ 1844."
The blocks or assembled quilt top were given to Susan and Henry, with Susan expected to finish the quilt. The top, never lined or quilted, was passed down through the family to the donor, Susan Underwood's great-granddaughter.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1844
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T15321
catalog number
T15321
accession number
293236

1850 - 1875 Fannie Gatewood Grimes's "Harvest Sun" Wool Quilt

Fannie Gatewood Grimes pieced nine 21-inch examples of the “Harvest Sun” pattern (also known as “Prairie Star” or “Star of Bethlehem”) to fashion this wool quilt in the third quarter of the nineteenth century.
Description
Fannie Gatewood Grimes pieced nine 21-inch examples of the “Harvest Sun” pattern (also known as “Prairie Star” or “Star of Bethlehem”) to fashion this wool quilt in the third quarter of the nineteenth century. In 1988 it was donated to the Smithsonian by her granddaughter, Mary Harding Renshaw.
The “Harvest Sun” blocks were pieced with wool fabrics and set with a 6-inch dark green wool sashing. Contributing to the overall design, the 3½-inch borders are made with the same red wool that was used as a background for the pieced blocks. The lining is black twill-woven cotton. The quilting patterns consist of outline and diagonal grid, quilted 7 stitches per inch.
Frances (Fannie) Price Gatewood was the daughter of Fielding Gatewood (1787-1833?) and Nancy Williams Gatewood (b. 1791). She was born March 22, 1822 in Logan County, Kentucky, one of four children. Fannie married James T. Grimes (about 1814–1869) on December 19, 1840. They lived in Logan County where James was a sheriff and a farmer. Of their eight children, two died in childhood. Family information described James as a tall, red-headed Irishman with a temper, and Fannie as liking nothing more than smoking a pipe filled with cherry leaves. On the 1880 census, Fannie is head-of-household, keeping house in Keysburg, Logan County, for her son and daughter, their spouses, a granddaughter and her mother, Nancy, age 89. Her son is listed as a leaf tobacco dealer and her son-in-law as a distiller. Fannie died on December 11, 1914, at age 92, and is buried in the Grimes Cemetery in Logan County.
In 1993, Fannie’s “Harvest Sun” wool quilt was reproduced under license to Cabin Creek, a West Virginian quilting cooperative and sold through the Land’s End Catalog. This was in response to an outcry by American quilters who were concerned about the sale of Chinese reproductions of American quilts from the Smithsonian Collection. The reproduction “Harvest Sun” quilt was made by American hand quilters with cotton fabrics that were purchased from American mills.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
Grimes, Fannie Gatewood
ID Number
TE.T13540
catalog number
T13540
accession number
257664

1800 - 1825 Cornelia Townsend's Quilted and Stuffed Counterpane

Cordelia Townsend may have made this quilt or it may have just been in the family as it was donated by her great-grandchildren. Cordelia was born in 1799, married William Everett in 1817 at Goshen, N.Y.
Description
Cordelia Townsend may have made this quilt or it may have just been in the family as it was donated by her great-grandchildren. Cordelia was born in 1799, married William Everett in 1817 at Goshen, N.Y. She died in 1821.
The early 19th century counterpane is quilted and stuffed, with a center design of a flowering tree enclosed in an oval of feathered arcs. Beyond this are flowers, bunches of grapes, and an undulating row of long feathered leaves. A pomegranate in each corner and groups of curved leaves around the outer edge complete the quilt. The motifs are typical of this period. It has a cotton lining, filling and stuffing. The motifs are stuffed and outlined in quilting; the background is quilted in parallel lines 1/8-inch apart 8-9 stitches per inch. A white cotton tape binding is folded over edge and sewn with a running stitch through all layers. It is finished with 3" fringe on all sides.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800-1825
ID Number
TE.T10268
accession number
183386
catalog number
T10268

1880 - 1900 "Crazy-patchwork" Parlor Throw

Thirty 10-inch blocks were carefully crafted of velvet and plush fabrics to create this crazy-patchwork parlor throw. All types of velvets are represented; plain, cut, embossed, striped, silk with velvet stripes, and velvet ribbon. The effect is of a three-dimensional surface.
Description
Thirty 10-inch blocks were carefully crafted of velvet and plush fabrics to create this crazy-patchwork parlor throw. All types of velvets are represented; plain, cut, embossed, striped, silk with velvet stripes, and velvet ribbon. The effect is of a three-dimensional surface. Each block is constructed on a cotton foundation and enhanced with various embroidery stitches. The throw has a cotton fiber filling. The lining or backing fabric is a challis or delaine, roller-printed with a floral motif. The throw is bound on all sides with a straight strip of black silk satin fabric. The fabrics used in this piece represent the range of velvets and plushes (silk pile fabrics) available to the upper middle classes in America.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1880-1900
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T12601
accession number
220211
catalog number
T12601

quilt

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T08205
accession number
147894
catalog number
T08205

1800 - 1810 Rachel Woodrow's Whitework Quilt

According to family information, Rachel Woodrow crafted this example of a quilted and stuffed-work bedcover. Outlining the center is a meandering vine with baskets of flowers and vines. This is framed by a band of large quilted and stuffed diamonds.
Description
According to family information, Rachel Woodrow crafted this example of a quilted and stuffed-work bedcover. Outlining the center is a meandering vine with baskets of flowers and vines. This is framed by a band of large quilted and stuffed diamonds. A plain white border of diagonal grid quilting, 9 stitches per inch, completes the counterpane.
Little is known of Rachel Woodrow. Donor information says that she died in 1812 in the area of Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and is buried in that cemetery. The family information claims a relationship to Woodrow Wilson. Rachel’s legacy is a finely executed needlework example of the early 19th century.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800-1810
maker
Woodward, Rachel
ID Number
TE.T18281
catalog number
T18281
accession number
1977.0106

1865 - 1875 Lizzie Lisle's "Fold and Cut" Appliqued Quilt

Lizzie Lisle appliquéd this red and white quilt in about 1870, probably in Cadiz, Iowa before her marriage. Sixteen 14¾ -inch blocks are appliquéd with red conventionalized flowers and four spade-shaped leaves.
Description
Lizzie Lisle appliquéd this red and white quilt in about 1870, probably in Cadiz, Iowa before her marriage. Sixteen 14¾ -inch blocks are appliquéd with red conventionalized flowers and four spade-shaped leaves. Each flower has cut-outs forming a cross, revealing the white ground beneath. The center is framed by a 2-inch red band. An 11-inch white border is embellished with a traditional appliqué pattern of swags, bows, and tassels.
This quilt was referred to in a 1949 Woman’s Day magazine as a “Lincoln Drape” quilt. In the period from 1865 to 1875, a popular swag pattern known as “Lincoln Drape” was used to commemorate the death of Abraham Lincoln and can be found on other decorative items such as glassware. The whole piece is quilted 11 to 12 stitches per inch, with diagonal grid and triple diagonal line patterns.
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Lisle, born in Ohio in 1836, was the daughter of John Lisle (1803-1890s) and Elizabeth Johnston (1811-1889). Members of the extended Lisle family were early settlers in Jefferson and Harrison Counties in Ohio, but many also moved westward and settled in Iowa. It was in Jasper County, Iowa, on February 11, 1886, that Lizzie married Eden Randall. Eden was born in Delaware County, Ohio, about 1840 and served in the Civil War (Co. G, 3rd Iowa Volunteer Infantry).
Mustered in June 8, 1861, Eden was taken prisoner on April 6, 1862, in Shiloh, Tennessee. In January 1863 he was part of a prisoner exchange and rejoined his company, only to be severely wounded in the face and mouth on June 12, 1863, at Vicksburg, Tennessee. He recovered in a hospital in Keokuk, Iowa. Elizabeth and Eden had no children. Lizzie is buried in Fairview Township, Jasper County, Iowa. Her grandniece generously donated two of Lizzie Lisle's quilts to the Smithsonian in 1949.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1865-1875
maker
Lisle, Lizzie
ID Number
TE.T10101
accession number
144535
catalog number
T10101

quilt

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
ID Number
TE.T08116
accession number
145004
catalog number
T08116

1840 - 1880 Elizabeth McEuen Smith's Indian Palampore

This whole-cloth quilt was made from an Indian palampore, about 1780, that according to the donor was given to Thomas Sully (1783-1872) by a woman whose portrait he had painted. An inscription written in ink on the palampore before it was lined and quilted states:“. . .
Description
This whole-cloth quilt was made from an Indian palampore, about 1780, that according to the donor was given to Thomas Sully (1783-1872) by a woman whose portrait he had painted. An inscription written in ink on the palampore before it was lined and quilted states:
“. . . Thomas Sully This Quilt was purchased 1736 of a Smuggler of East India goods in the Isle of White [sic], England (Belonging to my late friend Mifs Bradford. Elizabeth Smith Charleston.”
While the date in the inscription appears to be 1736, the design of the palampore is more typical of the latter half of the 18th century.
Thomas Sully painted Elizabeth McEuen Smith’s portrait in 1823 (now in the collection of the Honolulu Academy of Arts). He painted another of her sisters, Emily and Mary McEuen (Los Angeles County Museum of Art). Elizabeth was born in 1795 in Philadelphia, Pa. She married Charles Willis Smith in 1817. Elizabeth died in Georgetown, D.C., in 1839.
A small stamp, possibly an agent’s stamp in Tamil appears in the same area as the inscription. The palampore quilt top was both mordant-painted (a chemical process to fix a dye), dyed, and hand-painted, in Madras, India. It was probably quilted and lined in the mid-19th century.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1880
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T13945
accession number
272175
catalog number
T13945

1870 - 1880 Betty West's "Nurse's" Quilt Top

Five 24-inch pieced 8-Pointed Star blocks and four Railroad Crossing blocks were constructed using 27 different printed cottons. This quilt top was made about 1879 by Betty West, who was employed by Leonides C.
Description
Five 24-inch pieced 8-Pointed Star blocks and four Railroad Crossing blocks were constructed using 27 different printed cottons. This quilt top was made about 1879 by Betty West, who was employed by Leonides C. Campbell and his wife, Mary, as a nurse for their children.
One of the children, Mary C. Watkins, wrote in 1939: “Betty West, our Negro nurse, made this quilt for my brother Kennedy and me. The many stitches made by stiff old fingers showes the real love she had for the two white children entrusted to her care. I treasured the quilt & have kept it all these years in loving memory of her.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1870-1880
maker
West, Betty
ID Number
TE.T17773.00A
accession number
315496
catalog number
T17773A

1875 - 1900 "Double Irish Chain" Pieced Quilt

Names for quilt pattern blocks change over time, by region, and as variations on traditional or classical block patterns develop.
Description
Names for quilt pattern blocks change over time, by region, and as variations on traditional or classical block patterns develop. On this quilt plain-woven red, green, and white cottons were used to create this version of the pattern, “Double Irish Chain.” All of the red and green pieces are 2-inches square. The 8 ½-inch border is edged with a red and green appliqued saw tooth strip. Feathered wreaths, quilted 9 stitches per inch, embellish the white squares and a feathered vine, the border. Diagonal grid quilting was used on the pieced chain. There is a 10-inch difference in width from top to bottom. The bright red and green of the pieced double chain effectively sets off the quilted blocks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1875-1900
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.E363156
accession number
117457
catalog number
E363156

1850 - 1870 Sarah Young's "Rose of Sharon" Quilt

Initials “S.A.Y.” are inked on the corner of this pieced and appliqued quilt. According to family information Sarah Ann Young made this quilt and two others as a teenager, probably with the assistance of her mother, Elizabeth Young.
Description
Initials “S.A.Y.” are inked on the corner of this pieced and appliqued quilt. According to family information Sarah Ann Young made this quilt and two others as a teenager, probably with the assistance of her mother, Elizabeth Young. The cotton fabrics used to create the “Rose of Sharon” variation were home dyed. What appears tan now, was once green. The 3-ply cotton applique threads still show as a green color against the tan. It is quilted, 10 stitches per inch, with hearts, vines, and outline and echo quilting on the appliqued motifs and background.
Sarah Ann Young was born in Preble Co., Ohio, July 28, 1849 and died in Greenville, Ohio, April 20, 1936. The quilt descended in her brother, John Franklin Young’s, family.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1870
maker
Young, Sarah Ann
ID Number
TE.T12863
accession number
244875
catalog number
T12863

1870 - 1880 Martha Jane Taylor's Parlor Throw

Martha Jane Taylor employed her needlework skills to create this chevron patterned parlor throw.
Description
Martha Jane Taylor employed her needlework skills to create this chevron patterned parlor throw. According to the donors, her granddaughters, she died in 1882 after a long illness; possibly making this throw was a distraction for her as her health declined.
The 4-inch vertical bands made of strips of silk pieced in a chevron pattern are separated by 1 ½-inch silk ribbons. A 4-inch crazy-patched border with some embroidery frames the center. The lining consists of 30 square and rectangular fragments of a purple/black/white plaid silk fabric. The filling is cotton with an inner lining of cotton cloth. It is tied with purple and yellow silk.
Martha Jane Nicar was born in 1827 or 1828 in Lynchburg, Virginia. In 1845 she married Carlo Reed Taylor (1821-1897) in Mishawaka, Indiana. Carlo R. Taylor was born in Lewiston, N.Y., but traveled and worked in many parts of the country. During the Civil War, according to the family, he was employed by the Confederate Army, possibly manufacturing all the printer’s ink for the Confederacy during that time. He was involved in businesses in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, among other places. They had five children. Martha died in South Bend, Indiana in 1882.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
delete
delete
date made
1870 - 1880
maker
Taylor, Martha Jane
ID Number
TE.T12173
accession number
232472
catalog number
T12173

1825 - 1840 Susan Strong's "Great Seal" Quilt

An appliquéd and embroidered adaptation of the Great Seal of the United States centers this cotton quilt made by Susan Strong in the early second quarter of the nineteenth century. Susan probably made this quilt in Ohio, where her family moved prior to 1820.
Description
An appliquéd and embroidered adaptation of the Great Seal of the United States centers this cotton quilt made by Susan Strong in the early second quarter of the nineteenth century. Susan probably made this quilt in Ohio, where her family moved prior to 1820. The Great Seal has been in use since 1782 to authenticate documents issued by the United States government. Adaptations of this patriotic motif, a bald eagle with its wings spread, have been used on many quilts.
In Susan’s adaptation, the eagle holds vines in its talons and beak instead of the arrows, olive branch, and banner with E Pluribus Unum that are found on the traditional motif. The thirteen appliquéd 8-pointed stars above the eagle represent the thirteen colonies. The center panel is framed by three borders, each 7½-inches wide. They are appliquéd with the same design of flowering vines growing from corner vases. Two fabrics, a white cotton and roller-printed discharge white on blue cotton, are used alternately for the appliqué and the background. The shield and details on the eagle’s head are embroidered with silk thread in chain and satin stitches. Quilting is 6 stitches to the inch, in various patterns. This patriotic quilt is an example of an important design motif used to decorate many objects during the early part of the nineteenth century.
Susan Strong was born on July 4, 1809, in Frederick County, Maryland. She is listed among the pioneers in Richland County, Ohio, those who lived in the county prior to 1820. Charles, George, and John Strong of Maryland are among the 1818 listing of property owners in Jefferson Township. Susan married William Bell (1805-1847) on December 6, 1831. William was the son of Robert Bell, an early developer (1814) of the town of Bellville, Ohio. They had six children, two boys and four girls (all of whom taught school). In 1840 they moved to Hancock County, but Susan returned to Bellville after the death of William in 1847. She did not remarry and later lived with her daughter, Sarah (Mrs. Charles H. Dewey), in Omaha, Nebraska. Susan died in 1875, at age 66.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1825-1840
maker
Strong, Susan
ID Number
TE.T14833
catalog number
T14833
accession number
283467

1840 - 1860 Appliqued Quilt Center Panel

A block-printed bird dominates this appliqued center panel probably used for a quilt top. Four sprays of block-printed roses and leaves appear to have been later replacements, evidenced by needle-hole patterns in all four corners.
Description
A block-printed bird dominates this appliqued center panel probably used for a quilt top. Four sprays of block-printed roses and leaves appear to have been later replacements, evidenced by needle-hole patterns in all four corners. The motifs were cut out and appliqued on white cotton; an efficient way to utilize expensive printed fabric. A 1/2-inch red border frames the motifs.
The appliqued panel was part of a larger donation of 18th and 19th century textiles that included quilts, coverlets, rugs, printed fabrics, white-on-white embroidered counterpanes, and blankets among other items.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840 - 1860
Date made
delete
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T18232
accession number
1977.0101
catalog number
T18232

1836 "W.B." Quilted Counterpane

The date “June 3 1836” and initials “W.B.” in the center panel are plainly evident on this quilted and stuffed white counterpane. Unfortunately no further information was given at the time of donation. Does the date signify an engagement or wedding date?
Description
The date “June 3 1836” and initials “W.B.” in the center panel are plainly evident on this quilted and stuffed white counterpane. Unfortunately no further information was given at the time of donation. Does the date signify an engagement or wedding date? Is “W.B.” the maker or a person honored?
The white-work counterpane is an example of stuffed work using a method of spreading apart the threads in the lining and inserting cotton stuffing. In this way the motifs such as the plumes, sunflowers, daisies, and undulating vines are given a dimensionality. Precise quilting, 10 stitches per inch, further enhances the elegance and overall design of this bedcover.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1836
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T12170
accession number
231271
catalog number
T12170

1840-60 Irish Chain pieced quilt

This Irish chain quilt is made of 2-1/2 and 12-1/2" squares of 3 printed cottons, with a fourth printed cotton used for the 9-1/2 " border. The quilting pattern is outline on 2-1/2" squares with same grid on larger squares, clamshell on theborder, 6 stitches/inch.
Description
This Irish chain quilt is made of 2-1/2 and 12-1/2" squares of 3 printed cottons, with a fourth printed cotton used for the 9-1/2 " border. The quilting pattern is outline on 2-1/2" squares with same grid on larger squares, clamshell on theborder, 6 stitches/inch. White cotton lining, cotton filling. No separate binding; front and back turned in, sewn with running stitch.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840 - 1860
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.H012115
accession number
52752
catalog number
H012115

1800 - 1825 Nine-patch Pieced Quilt

Two printed cotton fabrics, an indigo and white resist and a brown polka-dot on white, were used to make this version of a "Nine-patch" pieced quilt. Eight-inch pieced blocks alternate with 8-inch printed squares.
Description
Two printed cotton fabrics, an indigo and white resist and a brown polka-dot on white, were used to make this version of a "Nine-patch" pieced quilt. Eight-inch pieced blocks alternate with 8-inch printed squares. The original 5-inch border was cut down to 2-inches on three sides and rebound. The quilt is a worn, but well-ordered, geometric example of early 19th century quilt-making.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800-1825
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T15384
catalog number
T15384
accession number
293793

1850 Benoni Pearce's Album Quilt

This album quilt has the inscription "Benoni Pearce Pawling 1850" plainly appliquéd across the top. Whether to celebrate an engagement, announce his availability for marriage, or as a token of friendship it is not evident why this quilt so boldly bears the name, Benoni Pearce.
Description
This album quilt has the inscription "Benoni Pearce Pawling 1850" plainly appliquéd across the top. Whether to celebrate an engagement, announce his availability for marriage, or as a token of friendship it is not evident why this quilt so boldly bears the name, Benoni Pearce. It is known that album quilts were quite popular in the mid-nineteenth century. In 1850 family and friends in the Pawling, New York area joined together to create this example well expressed by one of the inscriptions: "This Humble Tribute I Present - My Friendship to Portray." The needlework, artistry and many inscriptions on the Benoni Pearce Album Quilt make it an important part of the collection.
The eighty-one distinctive blocks of the quilt represent a great many of the quilting techniques and patterns popular in the mid-nineteenth century. Fifty-eight blocks are appliquéd, thirteen are pieced, eight are pieced and appliquéd, one is reverse appliquéd and one is quilted and stuffed. It is constructed mainly of roller printed cottons. The motifs of each of the eighty-one quilt blocks differ, from basic pieced star patterns to free form designs such as a girl jumping rope, a deer or trees. Details on many of the blocks are added in ink or embroidery. The quilting patterns also represent a variety of styles with quilted symbols of hearts, flowers, and various geometric shapes found throughout the quilt.
The many contributors to this quilt have appliquéd, inked or embroidered their signatures to individual blocks, often adding dates, place names, relationship to quilt recipient Benoni Pearce, and even poems. One quilt block depicting a barren gnarled tree expresses the following sentiment:
"I am a broken aged tree
That long has stood the wind and rain
But now has come a cruel blast
And my last hold on earth is gone
No leaf of mine shall greet the spring
No Summers sun exalt my bloom
But I must lie before the storm
And others plant them in my room.
Presented by Your Aunt Anna Dodge."
("Lament For James, Earl of Glencairn," Robert Burns)
Other inscriptions express conventional sentiments. It is through the many dated inscriptions that some of the history of Benoni Pearce's Album Quilt has been established.
Benoni Pearce married Emma Stark in 1851, farmed in the Pawling, Dutchess County, New York, area, had two daughters and died in 1871. By 1873 his widow, Emma, had moved to Washington D.C. with their two daughters and was working as a clerk for the U.S. government, one of the early government girls. Emma Stark Pearce continued to live in Washington D.C. and worked in various government offices until her death in 1899 at age seventy. After she died the quilt remained with her daughter, Jessie, who never married. The other daughter, Augusta, apparently died at a young age. Jessie also lived in Washington D.C., kept boarders and was listed in the city directory as a china painter or artist until her own death in 1907. It was in Jessie's handwritten will that mention was made of "my album quilt . . . ." probably the one that was eventually donated to the Museum in 1972 by descendants. According to the donors they felt that the Museum was better able to preserve and care for the quilt and that such a beautiful object, Benoni Pearce's Album Quilt, should be shared and valued.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1850
quilter
Pearce, Benoni, friends of
ID Number
TE.T16323
accession number
304519
catalog number
T16323

1850 - 1870 Sarah Young's "Whig's Defeat" Quilt

Initials “S.A.Y.” are inked on the corner of this pieced and appliqued quilt. According to family information Sarah Ann Young made this quilt and two others as a teenager, probably with the assistance of her mother, Elizabeth Young.
Description
Initials “S.A.Y.” are inked on the corner of this pieced and appliqued quilt. According to family information Sarah Ann Young made this quilt and two others as a teenager, probably with the assistance of her mother, Elizabeth Young. The cotton fabrics used to create the “Whig’s Defeat” pattern were home dyed. Between and around the large motifs are appliqued flowers. All of the motifs are appliqued directly to the white cotton ground fabric, not made in blocks. It is quilted, 7 stitches per inch, with outline quilting on the motifs and circles on the white ground.
Sarah Ann Young was born in Preble Co., Ohio, July 28, 1849 and died in Greenville, Ohio, April 20, 1936. The quilt descended in her brother, John Franklin Young’s, family. It is one of two that were donated to the Museum, the family kept the third quilt.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1870
maker
Young, Sarah Ann
ID Number
TE.T12864
accession number
244875
catalog number
T12864

1840 - 1860 "Nine-patch" Pieced Quilt

Plain squares (5 ¾ inches) of a tiny floral, brown-on-white, roller-printed cotton are set off by blocks pieced in a “Nine-patch” variation. The pieced blocks contain a variety of mid-nineteenth century geometric and floral prints.
Description
Plain squares (5 ¾ inches) of a tiny floral, brown-on-white, roller-printed cotton are set off by blocks pieced in a “Nine-patch” variation. The pieced blocks contain a variety of mid-nineteenth century geometric and floral prints. The quilt is lined with a white cotton (now brown) and filled with cotton. It is quilted, 5 – 6 stitches per inch. The quilt has cut-out corners. The quilt with its variety of prints is an example of mid-nineteenth century quilting.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T17331.000
catalog number
T17331.000
accession number
321804

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