National Quilt Collection - About
The National Quilt Collection (view a video tour) contains both quilts made for functional, utilitarian purposes as bedding, and others made mainly for decorative purposes. The parlor throws or crazy quilts of the latter part of the 19th century, as well as more recent art quilts, are examples of quilts as ornamental objects. The Collection includes quilts that were made to exhibit needlework skills and were entered in contests or shown at fairs where they won prizes.
Many quilts in the Collection have inscriptions, a practice particularly popular after the mid-19th century, and are a textile record that expresses the interests and feelings of the makers. Symbolic motifs found on quilts attest to patriotic views, honor fraternal organizations or relate to major historical events. Some quilts were made to memorialize events—several in the Collection commemorate the 1876 Centennial by using souvenir fabrics in the construction, and another incorporates World War II slogans.
There are quilts in the Collection that represent both domestic household production and the growth of quilting as a commercial venture. Some of the earlier quilts were made of fabrics that were woven and dyed at home. Across the Collection, quilts contain fabrics that represent changes in the textile industry such as in the fabric printing process. Hand-sewn and quilted examples can be compared and contrasted to machine-sewn quilts as the availability of home sewing machines expanded. Other quilt examples utilized commercial patterns or were made from kits that could be purchased, a quilt marketing phenomenon that began in earnest in the early 20th century.
While many of the quilts were made by women, the Collection also has examples, some as early as the mid-19th century, that were made by men. The Collection incorporates quilts from various ethnic groups and social classes, for quilts are not the domain of a specific race or class, but can be a part of anyone’s heritage and treasured as such. Whether of rich or humble fabrics, large in size or small, expertly crafted or not, well-worn or pristine, quilts in the National Quilt Collection provide a textile narrative that contributes to America’s complex and diverse history.
The National Quilt Collection, part of the Division of Home and Community Life textiles collection at the National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center, had its beginnings in the 1890s. Three quilts were included in a larger collection of 18th- and 19th- century household and costume items donated by John Brenton Copp of Stonington, Connecticut. From this early beginning, the Collection has grown to more than 500 quilts and quilt-related items, mainly of American origin, with examples from many states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Most of the contributions have come to the Museum as gifts, and many of those are from the quilt-makers’ families. Quilt donations continue to be accepted in areas where the Collection has needs.
"National Quilt Collection - About" showing 14 items.
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1800 - 1820 Brown-Francis Family's Patriotic Quilt
- Description
- This early-nineteenth-century patriotic quilt was owned by members of the Brown-Frances family of Canterbury, Connecticut, before being donated to the Museum in 1947. The donor's grandmother had acquired possession of it along with other household furnishings that were in the eighteenth-century family homestead.
- The focus of the quilt, the large center block, is an adaptation of the Great Seal of the United States. An appliquéd eagle holding an arrow in one claw and a leafy sprig in the other dominates the block A shield with fifteen stars that indicate the number of states from June 1, 1792 until June 1, 1796 is behind the eagle. Appliquéd floral and bird motifs complete the block. This center block is set in a field of 4¾-inch blocks alternately plain and pieced in a nine-patch variation. The fabrics include thirty-eight roller-printed, plain colored and white cottons. It is quilted in parallel diagonal lines ¾-inch apart, 7 or 8 stitches per inch. From the late-eighteenth century the American eagle motif has signified patriotism and sacrifice. This quilt by an unknown Canturbury, Connecticut, quilt maker displays a unique rendition of that powerful symbol.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1800-1820
- quilter
- unknown
- ID Number
- TE*T13505
- accession number
- 168993
- catalog number
- T13505
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
1840 - 1860 Paulding Family's "Tyger" Quilt
- Description
- “I have a quilt that has been in my husband’s family for generations . . . It is supposed to have been slept under by Martha Washington . . .” was the claim when it was offered in 1974. While the quilt was probably made in the mid-19th-century, the fabric that was used made the quilt exceptional. It is a copperplate-printed cotton produced in 1785 by Bromley Hall, England’s largest eighteenth-century textile printing firm.
- Copperplate-printing is a process, developed after 1760, by which a pattern is etched on a flat plate, color applied by brush with the excess removed by a scraper, and then the plate and fabric passed through a flat printing press. The pattern found on the fabric of this quilt is labeled “Tyger” in the Bromley Hall pattern book. It features a wide variety of classical and pastoral motifs such as two boys riding leopards, architectural ruins, a dancing shepherdess, peacocks, parrots, sunflowers, and dragonflies, among many others.
- Both the front and back of this quilt are composed of pieces of fabric copperplate-printed in brown. Each side has its own lining (one of cotton, one of linen), with a layer of cotton wadding between the two linings. A block-printed border is used for edging both layers and the two sides are whipstitched together. Most likely the "Tyger" fabric and block-printed trim were from an early set of bed furniture. The quilting consists of widely-spaced Vs, worked in crooked lines with uneven stitches, plus or minus four stitches per inch.
- The quilt was from the William Paulding family of New York . William Paulding Jr. (1770-1854) was a lawyer and active in politics. He served in the War of 1812, and as mayor of New York City 1824-1826. In 1838 Paulding, along with architect Alexander Jackson Davis, designed and built a country villa named “Knoll” (“Pauldings Folly” by his critics). The house is known today as “Lyndhurst” in Tarrytown, N. Y. A National Trust Historic Site, it remains one of the extravagant examples of 19th-century Gothic Revival mansions along the Hudson River.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1840-1860
- maker
- unknown
- ID Number
- TE*T17289
- accession number
- 314087
- catalog number
- T17289
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
1846 Mary C. Nelson's "Eagle" Quilt
- Description
- Mary C. Nelson of Saratoga County, New York, appliquéd her patriotic quilt with an American eagle and 28 stars representing the number of states in 1846. Texas had become a state in December 1845. The eagle motif has been symbolic of the United States since 1782, when an image of the bird was adopted for official purposes.
- The appliquéd stars and eagle are made of discharge- and roller-printed cottons. The blue, brown, and white printed cotton used for the eagle has an effect of feathers. The 8-inch border is composed of six stripes, two each of a red ground print, a blue-and-white, and a plain white cotton contributing to the patriotic theme. Both the eagle and stars are outlined with a row of quilting very close to the appliquéd edge. Shell-pattern quilting enhances the eagle. The ground is quilted in a diagonal grid pattern of 8 stitches per inch. Mary’s name is cross-stitched in red below the eagle “MARY C. NELSON 22 1846.” The “22” possibly refers to her age.
- Mary Caroline Nelson was born March 22, 1824, in Saratoga Springs, Dutchess County, New York. She was the youngest of six children. Her father, Gilbert Nelson, had served in the War of 1812. On June 9, 1847 Mary married Platt Sutherland Pine (1816-1884) and moved to Sandy Plains, N.Y. They had five children. According to the 1884 Beers’ History of Greene County, in 1853 Platt S. Pine purchased the homestead property of his father and made many improvements. He was among the most prosperous and successful farmers in the area. Later in 1861 he built a boarding house in South Cairo, N.Y., near the railroad station, with magnificent views of the mountains and surrounding country. Mary died in January 1894 and is buried in the Catskill Rural Cemetery.
- Annie Pine, Mary’s granddaughter, visited the Smithsonian in 1937, and afterward wrote: “I . . . enjoyed viewing the quilts and saw you had none like this one and was told by the lady I could send it [Mary’s “Eagle” Quilt] there and it would be put with the others.” The quilt was donated in 1937 and has been featured in several exhibits.
- In the 1960s, over 100 years after it was made, Mary’s “Eagle” Quilt was faithfully reproduced by a quilting cooperative under the direction of Nancy Cole of Barwick, Kentucky. A VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) project, the Grass Roots Citizens Committee, enabled the quilt makers of Breathitt County to obtain wholesale or donated fabrics, expand their market, and increase their earnings.
- date made
- 1846
- maker
- Nelson, Mary C.
- ID Number
- TE*T07957
- accession number
- 143844
- catalog number
- T07957
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
1850 - 1875 Mary La Follette's Pieced Quilt Top
- Description
- This unfinished quilt top, which resembles a “Tic Tac Toe” game, was made by Mary La Follette of Primrose, Wis. Two different 8-inch block patterns were used to create the quilt top---an X and a hollow octagon. Ninety-nine blocks, pieced with roller-printed cottons, are framed by a 1 ¾-inch white border. In 1974, Mary’s granddaughter donated this quilt top that had been in the family.
- Mary Ferguson was born in November 1818 in Indiana. She married Alexander Buchanan in 1840, but he died in an accident before their first child, Ellen, was born. In 1846 Mary married Josiah La Follette. After a few years in Indiana they moved in 1849 with their children Ellen (b. 1841), and William (b. 1847) to Primrose County, Wis. They farmed, and two more children Josephine (b. 1853) and Robert Marion (b. 1855) were born. Another son, Marion, born in 1850, died as a toddler in 1853. Mary’s husband, Josiah, died in 1856, a few months after Robert was born. After Mary became a widow for the second time, she worked the farm with her children until 1862, when she married John Saxton (1792-1873). In 1873, after his death, she moved to Madison, Wis, where she died April 21, 1894.
- It was her youngest son, Robert or “Fighting Bob” La Follette who became well known in politics. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1885-1891), governor of Wisconsin (1901-1906) and U.S. Senator (1906-1925). He died in Washington, D.C., in 1925.
- Among many qualities, Mary was known for her industry, strong character, and active participation in the pioneer life of Primrose, Wis. The quilt top is a reminder of one of her skills, that as a seamstress. Her obituary in the Mt. Horeb Times of April 1894 stated “The brilliant career of her youngest son, from this period on, and the esteem in which her other children were held, must have been a source of pride and comfort to her in her old age.”
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1850-1875
- maker
- La Follette, Mary
- ID Number
- TE*T17173
- accession number
- 313380
- catalog number
- T17173
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
1863 Susannah Pullen's Civil War Quilt
- Description
- Mrs. Gilbert (Susannah G.) Pullen and her Sunday school class made this pieced quilt in Augusta, Maine in 1863. She followed the guidelines set by the U.S. Sanitary Commission for bedding to be used in the Civil War. The fourteen young ladies in the Sunday school class contributed over 150 inscriptions that were penned on the quilt's fifteen separate star-patterned blocks. They chose Bible passages, stories to uplift and guide, and riddles to which the answer was only to be found in the Bible. They also provided numerous inscriptions on practical health advice, patriotic messages, and light-hearted riddles. Even personal messages such as: "If you are good looking send me your photograph. Direct to the name in the large square. E.G.D." appeared on the quilt. It was hoped that the quilt would not only provide a diversion for the wounded soldiers during their long days recovering in hospital but also "alleviate or prevent disease and lead to happiness and Heaven." The numerous inscriptions on this quilt provide an insight into the feelings and concerns of the period and perhaps all war eras.
- Susannah Pullen expressed hope for correspondence when she penned these words on the quilt: "We have many dear friends connected with the army & any proper letters from any persons embraced in the defense of our country, received by any whose names are on this quilt shall have a reply. Tell us if nothing more its destination. We meet with many others to sew for you every Wednesday and your letters would prompt us to more exertions for our patriots." Two letters remain with the quilt and attest to its use at the Carver and Armory Square Hospitals in Washington D.C. A letter from Sergt. Nelson S. Fales of Nov. 22, 1863 eloquently expresses his gratitude: "Dear Madam I have had the pleasure of seeing the beautiful 'Quilt' sent by you to cheer and comfort the Maine Soldiers. I have read the mottoes, sentiments, etc., inscribed thereon with much pleasure and profit."
- On the back of the quilt Susannah Pullen penned these words: “The commencement of this war took place Apr. 12th 1861. The first gun was fired from Fort Sumter. God speed the time when we can tell when, and where, the last gun was fired; & ‘we shall learn war no more.’ If this quilt survives the war we would like to have it returned to Mrs. Gilbert Pullen, Augusta, Me . . . This quilt completed Sept. 1st 1863.” It did survive use during the Civil War, and it was returned to Mrs. Pullen as she requested.
- Susannah G. Corey was born in Brookline, Massachusetts in 1816. She married Gilbert Pullen (1810-1890) April 26, 1840. Gilbert was listed as a marble cutter on the 1850 census. They lived in Augusta, Maine with their two daughters, Susan E. and Charlotte. Susannah and Gilbert were members of the First Baptist Church. Susannah died November 26, 1871, and is buried in the Forest Grove Cemetery in Augusta, Maine.
- Susannah Pullen's Civil War Quilt was exhibited at a library in Augusta, Maine, for many years. Over time the inscriptions faded, but fortunately a transcription of them was made in the early-twentieth century. In 1936 Susannah’s granddaughter, Gertrude B. Davis, donated the quilt in her mother’s name, Charlotte Pullen Scruton. It is a reminder of the efforts of the many women who used their needlework and organizational skills to provide comfort for the armies of both the North and South.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1863
- quilter
- Pullen, Mrs. Gilbert
- quilters
- unknown
- ID Number
- TE*T07726
- accession number
- 138338
- catalog number
- T07726
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
1876 Mary W. Stow's "Centennial" Quilt
- Description
- “Mary W. Stow,” embroidered in red, is prominent on this patriotic quilt made of fabrics commemorating the 1876 Centennial in Philadelphia. The motifs were cut from bandannas that were printed as souvenirs of the event, and then appliquéd on white cotton. Most of the motifs are edged with a button-hole stitch using red cotton. Printed fabrics with patriotic motifs were popular in America before the 1876 Centennial, but the major exhibition in Philadelphia provided textile companies with an incentive to produce many new fabrics for the event. Several of these can be found on the quilt.
- The central motif depicts the Memorial Hall Art Gallery at the Centennial International Exhibition at Fairmont Park, Philadelphia. The Main Exhibition Building, Machinery Hall, Agricultural Hall, and the Horticultural Hall are circular motifs. These all originally appeared on one bandanna. There are flags of many nations, most likely cut from a printed textile. Cut-out portraits on printed fabric of George and Martha Washington, William Penn, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Ulysses Grant are among the motifs. Democratic candidates for president and vice-president, Samuel J. Tilden and Thomas A. Hendricks, and their Republican counterparts, Rutherford Hayes and William A. Wheeler, appear in separate motifs.
- Mary W. Stow lived in Wisconsin, and included on her quilt printed pictures of the capitol building at Madison, Wisconsin and Harrison Ludington (1812-1891), governor of Wisconsin from 1876 to 1878.
- Motifs also include inked drawings of the Hingham, Massachusetts, First Meeting House, the Bunker Hill Monument, the Liberty Bell, the Charter Oak, Trinity Church, and Independence Hall. Several motifs have the printed or inked date “1876.”
- The border makes use of patriotic colors. A 1½-inch inner band of blue striped cotton with white stars is framed by an outer 1¾-inch band of red cotton. Quilting, 9 stitches per inch, outlines the appliquéd motifs. The border is quilted with a feathered vine and 1-inch diamond quilting fills the background.
- The patriotic theme is carried to the lining of the quilt. In the center of the back is a bandanna with the printed text of the Declaration of Independence and facsimiles of the signatures of the signers. These are framed by the Liberty Bell and seals of the thirteen colonies, linked by names of the Revolutionary patriots.
- Mary Williams Loomis was born on April 8, 1820, in Brownville, Jefferson County, New York. The daughter of General Thomas Loomis, she married Marcellus Kent Stow (1806-1871) on October 5, 1837, in Buffalo, New York. They moved to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, in 1852 where Marcellus was a business man, practiced law, and was a county judge.
- Marcellus had followed his brother, Alexander, to Wisconsin from New York and together they had platted subdivisions that provided a plan for the city’s growth. Their father, Silas Stow, was a congressman from New York during the War of 1812. Mary and Marcellus reared five children, two girls and three boys.
- Mary was also active in the Fond du Lac community. She was a foundering member of the Fond du Lac Relief Society, established in 1873 following the great forest fires of 1872 that destroyed several areas in Wisconsin. The establishment and management of a “Home for the Friendless” or “The Home” was a result of the fund-raising labors of this organization. Operating well into the twentieth century “The Home” provided a refuge for those in need, particularly the elderly, who did not have other resources. Although widowed, Mary still lived in Fond du Lac at the time of the Philadelphia 1876 Centennial. She may have visited the Exhibition and made this quilt as a reminder of the event. Her son, James W. Stow (1853-1913), lived in Washington, D.C., and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. It was in Washington, D.C., on June 13, 1898, that Mary died.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1876
- maker
- Stow, Mary W.
- ID Number
- TE*T15703
- accession number
- 297870
- catalog number
- T15703
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
1876 - 1878 Esther Cooley's "1876 Centennial" Quilt
- Description
- Esther Rose Cooley fashioned this pieced quilt from printed cotton souvenirs that she collected when she visited the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. Printed fabrics with patriotic motifs were popular in America before the 1876 Centennial, but the major exhibition in Philadelphia provided textile companies with an incentive to produce many new fabrics for the event.
- The center printed square depicts the Memorial Hall Art Gallery as well as the Main Exhibition Building, Machinery Hall, Agricultural Hall, and Horticultural Hall. “CENTENNIAL INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION FAIRMOUNT PARK PHILADELPHIA 1776 1876” is prominently printed on the square. A banner in the eagle’s beak carries the legend “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”
- Four flag banners contribute to the overall design. Each has a large U.S. flag with 42 stars surrounded by foreign flags in their national colors. They represent countries that participated in the 1876 Centennial Exposition: “ITALY, SPAIN, PORTUGAL, TURKEY, SIAM, TUNIS, PERSIA, EGYPT, PERU, VENEZUELA, HONDURAS, GUATEMALA, ECUADOR, BOLIVIA, NICARAGUA, CHILI, ARGENTINE, IRELAND, CHINA, JAPAN, MOROCCO, SANDWICH, HAYTI, LIBERIA, MEXICO, FRANCE, GERMANY, BELGIUM, HOLLAND, SWITZERLAND, RUSSIA, AUSTRIA, DENMARK, [and] SWEDEN.”
- The flag banner design was patented Dec. 28, 1875. The center is probably plate-printed, the flag banners, roller-printed cotton. Two flag segments (36 stars and 7 stripes) are used to balance the quilt design. A strip of foreign flags, probably cut from a similar flag banner, border the quilt.
- Esther Rose was born in Granville, Massachusetts, in 1824. She married Simon Foster Cooley. The Cooley family was long established in Massachusetts, an early ancestor having received a grant of land in Amherst from King George III. Esther Cooley lived in North Hadley, Massachusetts, and according to family information, “She was a great traveler for those days. She went annually to Chautauqua in N.Y.” Esther died in 1918, but the quilt she crafted from souvenirs of her visit to the 1876 Centennial in Philadelphia serves as a reminder of the importance of that event.
- In 1977 one of Esther’s great-granddaughters, Cloyce C. Reed, wrote about the donation of the “1876 Centennial” quilt to the Smithsonian. “My Quilt Goes to Washington,” Yankee Magazine, April 1977. “In a 1972 issue [ Yankee Magazine ] there was an article on quilts which prompted me to write to you about the quilt fashioned by my great-grandmother out of souvenir squares she bought at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia . . . you published my letter in . . . February 1973. . . . Then one day I received a telephone call from the Smithsonian! They had heard of the famous quilt . . . ask[ed] if I would loan it for their upcoming . . . exhibit.” It was on exhibit for the 1976 Bicentennial Exhibit and became part of the permanent collection through the generosity of the Cooley family. “It was truly wonderful to see this old quilt which has been in the family so long, in its final home, well cared for and enjoyed by so many fellow countrymen. We felt we had personally participated in the Bicentennial celebration.”
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1876-1878
- maker
- Cooley, Esther Elizabeth Rose
- ID Number
- TE*T17186
- accession number
- 314088
- catalog number
- T17186
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
1880 - 1895 Commemorative Ribbon Parlor Throw
- Description
- Although this crazy-patched parlor throw is characteristic of the many made in the last part of the 19th century, its many souvenir ribbons, extravagant embroidery, painted patches, typical period motifs, and a multitude of silk and velvet fabric samples combine to make it unique. Thirteen printed campaign and club ribbons dating from 1884 to1890 support Grover Cleveland as president and commemorate organizations such as the Iroquois or Americus Clubs. A “Kate Greenaway” ribbon also adorns the throw. Kate Greenway (1846-1901) was a famous English children’s book illustrator whose images appear on other quilts in the Collection.
- Twelve large crazy-patched blocks, varying in size, were assembled to make this throw. It has a light blue cotton lining, which is machine-seamed, with a cotton filling. The black satin border is machine stitched with black silk. The embroidery on the throw includes the following stitches: French knot, feather, chain, straight, stem, detached chain, herringbone, and buttonhole. Embroidery stitches cover all the seams and decorate some of the patchwork pieces. There is no binding. Instead the top and lining are machine-seamed face to face on three sides, turned right side out, and the fourth side is whipped by hand. It is tied every 12 1/2 inches with light blue silk.
- The quilt was donated by Arthur Wallace Dunn Jr. in memory of his father. Arthur Wallace Dunn Sr. (1859-1926) was a newspaper political correspondent and author who often toured the country with presidential candidates. One of the printed ribbons “Reporter National Democratic Convention 1888” may have held particular significance for him. Another patch is embroidered with the name, “Lillian.” Arthur Wallace Dunn Sr. married Lillian J. Nash in 1890. Perhaps his wife made this throw, incorporating ribbons her husband had collected as souvenirs.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1880-1895
- maker
- unknown
- ID Number
- TE*T12899
- accession number
- 245700
- catalog number
- T12899
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
1883 Vickery Sisters' Crazy-patch Parlor Throw
- Description
- This crazy-patched parlor throw was made by two sisters who lived in Fall River, Mass. The only information known about them is their last name, Vickery, and that neither sister married. A date of 1883 is embroidered on one silk patch.
- Their needlework is an example of the crazy-patch work that was very popular in the United States from 1870 to 1900.
- This type of quilt was not necessarily made for bedding, and more often was a project designed to be displayed over a chair or sofa in the parlor. The crazy-patchwork throws were constructed of pieces of silk, satin, velvets, and ribbon, and enhanced with fancy embroidery stitches. A wide range of appliquéd, embroidered, or painted motifs provided additional interest.
- This parlor throw consists of many crazy-patched and embroidered parallelograms that were assembled into ten 4 ½-inch vertical strips. The strips were joined and framed by a 2 ½-inch black velvet ribbon border with 1 ¾-inch gold satin ribbon tabs, imposing order on disorderly crazy-patches. Felted appliquéd motifs of flowers and birds adorn several patches. Other patches contain motifs such as fans, butterflies, horseshoes, or spider webs, all frequently found on crazy-patchwork. “Kate Greenaway” figures, another popular motif of the era, are embroidered on several patches. Kate Greenaway (1846-1901) was a popular writer and illustrator of children’s books. Her distinctive style for drawing children was widely copied and appears on various decorative arts of the time.
- Commemorative ribbons were often saved and then used for crazy-patchwork. A silk ribbon souvenir bookmark with an image of Lincoln and the inscription: “THE LATE LAMENTED PRESIDENT LINCOLN” (“T. Stevens Coventry” on the back) is prominent on this parlor throw. It is a modified version of a ribbon the Thomas Stevens Company of Coventry, U.K., made for Lincoln’s second inauguration in 1865.
- Thomas Stevens revitalized silk ribbon weaving in Coventry by adapting the jacquard weaving process to produce woven pictures. Custom-designed ribbons, badges, bookmarks, etc., might have portraits, text, or local scenes incorporated in the weave. The term “Stevengraph” is often used to describe the products. These were marketed at the time as “Stevens’ Patent Illuminated Book Markers.” Although only part of the ribbon is visible on this throw, similar ribbons are further inscribed: “ASSASSINATED AT WASHINGTON / 14 APRIL 1865 I HAVE SAID NOTHING BUT WHAT I AM WILLING TO LIVE BY, AND IF IT BE THE PLEASURE OF ALMIGHTY GOD, TO DIE BY. (A. LINCOLN)”
- While there is little information about the Vickery sisters at this time, their needlework project contains many items of interest. It is a worthwhile contribution to the Collection.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1883
- maker
- Vickery Sisters
- ID Number
- TE*T14434
- catalog number
- T14434
- accession number
- 274324
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
1888 Prohibition Amendment Parlor Throw
- Description
- “Memorial to the Constitutional Prohibition Amendment 1888” is this quilt's painted inscription, found on a red satin triangle on a corner of the lining. In 1888 the Prohibition Party was beginning to achieve national strength in the presidential elections.
- Founded in 1869, for the purpose of prohibiting the sale and manufacture of liquor, the Prohibition Party finally achieved the goal in 1919 with the ratification of the 18th Amendment. The 18th Amendment was repealed in 1933 by the 21st Amendment. Although the party still exists, it does not have the following it had in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This parlor throw was made at the height of the Prohibition Party’s popularity.
- A 14-inch center block of red velvet with painted water lilies is framed by two rows of painted or embroidered 7-inch satin blocks. The use of three colors (amber, blue and black), set alternately, provides a balanced overall aesthetic. An 8 ¼-inch red velvet border completes the throw. The lining is red satin, machine-quilted in a triple diagonal grid. Five of the black satin squares have painted religious inscriptions: “Hope;” a Bible with “Tried and Proved;” “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;” Be of the same mind one toward another;” and, a cross with “Et Teneo et Teneor.” The last, meaning "I hold and am held," may have referred to the motto of a Baptist college founded by Charles Haddon Spurgeon in the 1860s. The floral and bird motifs, the spider web, and others are similar to those found on crazy patchwork of the late 19th century.
- Although the maker is not known, the sentiments expressed are indicative of the types of inscriptions on decorative items that might be found in many homes during that era.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1888
- maker
- unknown
- ID Number
- TE*T11462
- accession number
- 211904
- catalog number
- T11462
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
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