Textiles

The 50,000 objects in the textile collections fall into two main categories: raw fibers, yarns, and fabrics, and machines, tools, and other textile technology. Shawls, coverlets, samplers, laces, linens, synthetics, and other fabrics are part of the first group, along with the 400 quilts in the National Quilt Collection. Some of the Museum's most popular artifacts, such as the Star-Spangled Banner and the gowns of the first ladies, have an obvious textile connection.

The machinery and tools include spinning wheels, sewing machines, thimbles, needlework tools, looms, and an invention that changed the course of American agriculture and society. A model of Eli Whitney's cotton gin, made by the inventor in the early 1800s, shows the workings of a machine that helped make cotton plantations profitable in the South and encouraged the spread of slavery.

This Muir Family Figured and Fancy double-cloth coverlet has a geometric, stylized-floral carpet medallion centerfield with floral borders and a dated Muir Family cornerblock trademark in the lower two corners.
Description
This Muir Family Figured and Fancy double-cloth coverlet has a geometric, stylized-floral carpet medallion centerfield with floral borders and a dated Muir Family cornerblock trademark in the lower two corners. Two sets of blue and white wool and cotton warp and weft were used to create this coverlet, and there is a self-fringe along the lower edge. The upper edge of the coverlet is worn as is often the case with use. The dark blue yarns are wool singles, and the white yarns are 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun natural cotton.
This coverlet was made by one of the four Muir brothers who emigrated from Kilmarnock, Scotland between the years 1835-41. They were the sons of Scottish weaver, Thomas Muir and were active weavers from 1840-1864, settling first in Germantown, Wayne County, Indiana then dispersing across the state and later into Missouri as was the case with Robert Muir (b. 1808). Robert sold the farm in Germantown and moved to Liberty Twp., Delaware Co., IN. and was active 1840-1864. While in Liberty Township, Robert had invested in the Cincinnati, New Castle, Michigan Railroad. In 1853, he was able to sell his stocks in the railroad along with the farm and relocate to Missouri to live near the family of his brother-in-law, another Kilmarnock-born Indiana weaver, Joseph Gilmour.
Thomas Muir (1810-1888) lived in Indianapolis, Marion Co., Indiana and was also active from 1840-1864. Thomas’ life is a bit of a mystery. There is little documentary evidence of his life in this country, but he and his brother William fought for the Union during the Civil War. John Muir (1815-1892) is the best documented of the weaving brothers. After making it to Indiana with his first wife and four children, the family lived with his brother, Robert. John moved to Greencastle, Putnam County, Indiana in 1843. His weaving shop was located on the North side of the town square. In 1855, he and his brother William invested in land speculation in the town of Fillmore, Indiana, convinced it was going to become the next railroad boomtown. John’s last move was to Jackson Township, Parke County, Indiana where he passed away in 1888.
William Muir (1818-1888), the youngest of the brothers was trained as a drawboy and silk and paisley shawl weaver in Scotland, immigrating to the US in 1840 where he first lived in Germantown, Wayne Co., Indiana and was active from 1840-1864. In 1842, William left the partnership with his brother, John and moved to Indianapolis where he operated a three-loom workshop and employed two Irish weavers, Jonathan Wilson and Robert Shaw as journeymen. William’s business grew with the new city and by 1858, he sold railroad stock and his holdings in Indianapolis, purchased a 340-acre farm Clay County, Indiana, and essentially retired from full-time weaving.
The fact that the brothers were all active at the same time and likely shared or had copies of the same patterns and used the same signature trademark cornerblock, makes it hard if not impossible to associate this coverlet with any single brother. The Henry Ford Museum has another coverlet by the Muir Family in the exact same pattern suggesting that rather than a bespoke piece commissioned by an individual, this pattern was produced on spec and either marketed by the brothers themselves or sold through a dealer. If like the Craig family of Indiana, the Muirs were also using a modified drawloom rather than a Jacquard pattern mechanism to produce their coverlets, the tie-ups, treadling, and weaving would have been repeated from memory. The fact that William was trained as a drawboy would suggest that the family was engaged in drawloom weaving.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1847
ID Number
TE.T12680
catalog number
T12680.000
accession number
237217
This Figured and Fancy coverlet features a centerfield design based on the “Double Lily” pattern but accentuated with double lotus and “Liberty,” shielded eagle motifs. There are borders along all four sides.
Description
This Figured and Fancy coverlet features a centerfield design based on the “Double Lily” pattern but accentuated with double lotus and “Liberty,” shielded eagle motifs. There are borders along all four sides. The top and bottom borders feature the “Bellflower and Bluebells” pattern associated with the Craig Family of Indiana. The side borders feature “Peacocks feeding their young” and what has been referred to as the Capitol. This coverlet, as with all Craig coverlets, is double-cloth woven in dark and medium red, white & blue wool and cotton with a fringe along bottom edge. All four corner block are dated 1848 and depict a building with a cupola. This motif is associated with the Craig family of Indiana. Donor information found in the accession file states that the maker was William Craig, Original incoming cataloging records that this coverlet came in as two separate pieces. It is now seamed together, but there is no information in the file to say when that was done. Coverlet seams were released during washing and as Colonial Revival became popular, many families repurposed their heirloom coverlets as curtains and portieres.
The Craig Family weavers consist of Scottish-born, William Craig, Sr. (1800-1880), Scottish-born cousin, James Craig (1819-1896), William Craig, Jr. (1824-1880), and James Craig (1823-1889) make up the two generations of weavers who intermarried with other Scottish immigrant weaving families, dominating the coverlet market in Floyd, Decatur, and Washington counties in Indiana. It is almost certain that their regional influence extended into Western Kentucky as well. The Craigs were prodigious weavers and entrepreneurs and the number of extant coverlets attest to this fact. Also of interest is a published interview with William Sr.'s granddaughter, Rena Craig Gilchrist found in Indiana Coverlets and Coverlet Weavers (1928) by Kate Milner Rabb. Rena Craig Gilchrist recounted how her grandfather was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland in 1800, moving to South Carolina in 1820 to assume the role of foreman at a Southern cotton goods factory. In 1832 the Craigs and other immigrant weaving families, the Gilchrists and Youngs moved to Mt. Caramel, Indiana. In 1838, the family moved again, further distributing weavers, to Decatur County, Indiana. The Craigs at first wove on their farm just outside of Greensburg, Indiana, but soon sons William Jr. and James ventured out on their own, marrying other weaver’s daughters, and establishing workshops in Greensburg and Anderson. Their coverlet weaving became regionally famous and people were reported as having come from fifty to sixty miles by wagon with woolen yarn for enough coverlets for each child at marriage.
The Craigs continued to weave until 1860 when William Sr. retired. Cousin James opened a shop in Canton, Indiana. A local resident described his loom as," “different from any other loom I have ever seen in that the threads of the warp were each run through a loop of cords to which were attached leaden weights about the size of an ordinary lead pencil, and I should think from twelve to fifteen inches in length. I do not remember accurately about that. The other end of each cord was attached to a pedal, of which there was a considerable number. A number of cords may have been attached to a pedal, according to the colors and figures being used. This enabled him to depress any of the threads of the warp that he pleased by operating the pedals with his feet, thus opening a space for the passing of the shuttle, of which he used as many as he wished colors in the pattern.” This description suggests that members of the Craig family were using modified drawlooms, possibly what is sometimes referred to a Scotch loom, which was used to weave figured double-cloth ingrain carpet. This is interesting because the introduction of the Jacquard head attachment, which used chains of punch cards, made figured weaving much faster and cheaper in the decades before the Craig family’s foray into coverlet weaving.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1848
maker
Craig Family
ID Number
TE.T12849
catalog number
T12849.000
accession number
243362
This blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet features a carpet medallion centerfield composed of "Double Cornucopia" medallions flanked by lilies and scalloped diamonds.
Description
This blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet features a carpet medallion centerfield composed of "Double Cornucopia" medallions flanked by lilies and scalloped diamonds. The coverlet’s side borders are composed of a Greek key design decorated with stylized carnations, irises, and thistles. The top and bottom borders feature the signature Craig family, “Bellflower and Bluebell” pattern. The 1842 dated courthouse with cupola cornerblock trademarks identify this coverlet with the Craig family. The coverlet was originally owned by great-grandmother of the donor, Mrs. Tenant of Shelbyville, Indiana. Being double-cloth, this coverlet has two sets of warps and wefts—one set composed of a wool weft and cotton weft, and the other a cotton weft and wool warp.
The Craig Family weavers consist of Scottish-born, William Craig, Sr. (1800-1880), Scottish-born cousin, James Craig (1819-1896), William Craig, Jr. (1824-1880), and James Craig (1823-1889) make up the two generations of weavers who intermarried with other Scottish immigrant weaving families, dominating the coverlet market in Floyd, Decatur, and Washington counties in Indiana. It is almost certain that their regional influence extended into Western Kentucky as well. The Craigs were prodigious weavers and entrepreneurs and the number of extant coverlets attest to this fact. Also of interest is a published interview with William Sr.'s granddaughter, Rena Craig Gilchrist found in Indiana Coverlets and Coverlet Weavers (1928) by Kate Milner Rabb. Rena Craig Gilchrist recounted how her grandfather was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland in 1800, moving to South Carolina in 1820 to assume the role of foreman at a Southern cotton goods factory. In 1832 the Craigs and other immigrant weaving families, the Gilchrists and Youngs moved to Mt. Caramel, Indiana. In 1838, the family moved again, further distributing weavers, to Decatur County, Indiana. The Craigs at first wove on their farm just outside of Greensburg, Indiana, but soon sons William Jr. and James ventured out on their own, marrying other weaver’s daughters, and establishing workshops in Greensburg and Anderson. Their coverlet weaving became regionally famous and people were reported as having come from fifty to sixty miles by wagon with woolen yarn for enough coverlets for each child at marriage.
The Craigs continued to weave until 1860 when William Sr. retired. Cousin James opened a shop in Canton, Indiana. A local resident described his loom as," “different from any other loom I have ever seen in that the threads of the warp were each run through a loop of cords to which were attached leaden weights about the size of an ordinary lead pencil, and I should think from twelve to fifteen inches in length. I do not remember accurately about that. The other end of each cord was attached to a pedal, of which there was a considerable number. A number of cords may have been attached to a pedal, according to the colors and figures being used. This enabled him to depress any of the threads of the warp that he pleased by operating the pedals with his feet, thus opening a space for the passing of the shuttle, of which he used as many as he wished colors in the pattern.” This description suggests that members of the Craig family were using modified drawlooms, possibly what is sometimes referred to a Scotch loom, which was used to weave figured double-cloth ingrain carpet. This is interesting because the introduction of the Jacquard head attachment, which used chains of punch cards, made figured weaving much faster and cheaper in the decades before the Craig family’s foray into coverlet weaving.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1842
maker
Craig Family
ID Number
TE.T13498
catalog number
T13498.000
accession number
256599
This blue and white, Figured and Fancy double-cloth Craig family medallion coverlet features a carpet centerfield with bell flower border along the top and bottom and willow and floral side borders.
Description
This blue and white, Figured and Fancy double-cloth Craig family medallion coverlet features a carpet centerfield with bell flower border along the top and bottom and willow and floral side borders. Dated 1852, the building with cupola cornerblock helps identify this coverlet as a product of the Craig Family of Decatur County, Indiana. This coverlet shows a lot of wear and is badly damaged along the top and bottom borders.
The Craig Family weavers consist of Scottish-born, William Craig, Sr. (1800-1880), Scottish-born cousin, James Craig (1819-1896), William Craig, Jr. (1824-1880), and James Craig (1823-1889) make up the two generations of weavers who intermarried with other Scottish immigrant weaving families, dominating the coverlet market in Floyd, Decatur, and Washington counties in Indiana. It is almost certain that their regional influence extended into Western Kentucky as well. The Craigs were prodigious weavers and entrepreneurs and the number of extant coverlets attest to this fact. Also of interest is a published interview with William Sr.'s granddaughter, Rena Craig Gilchrist found in Indiana Coverlets and Coverlet Weavers (1928) by Kate Milner Rabb. Rena Craig Gilchrist recounted how her grandfather was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland in 1800, moving to South Carolina in 1820 to assume the role of foreman at a Southern cotton goods factory. In 1832 the Craigs and other immigrant weaving families, the Gilchrists and Youngs moved to Mt. Caramel, Indiana. In 1838, the family moved again, further distributing weavers, to Decatur County, Indiana. The Craigs at first wove on their farm just outside of Greensburg, Indiana, but soon sons William Jr. and James ventured out on their own, marrying other weaver’s daughters, and establishing workshops in Greensburg and Anderson. Their coverlet weaving became regionally famous and people were reported as having come from fifty to sixty miles by wagon with woolen yarn for enough coverlets for each child at marriage.
The Craigs continued to weave until 1860 when William Sr. retired. Cousin James opened a shop in Canton, Indiana. A local resident described his loom as," “different from any other loom I have ever seen in that the threads of the warp were each run through a loop of cords to which were attached leaden weights about the size of an ordinary lead pencil, and I should think from twelve to fifteen inches in length. I do not remember accurately about that. The other end of each cord was attached to a pedal, of which there was a considerable number. A number of cords may have been attached to a pedal, according to the colors and figures being used. This enabled him to depress any of the threads of the warp that he pleased by operating the pedals with his feet, thus opening a space for the passing of the shuttle, of which he used as many as he wished colors in the pattern.” This description suggests that members of the Craig family were using modified drawlooms, possibly what is sometimes referred to a Scotch loom, which was used to weave figured double-cloth ingrain carpet. This is interesting because the introduction of the Jacquard head attachment, which used chains of punch cards, made figured weaving much faster and cheaper in the decades before the Craig family’s foray into coverlet weaving.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1852
maker
Craig Family
ID Number
TE.T12056
catalog number
T12056.000
accession number
228755
Matthew Rattray (1796-1872) woven is blue and white, Jacquard, double cloth coverlet in Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana in 1853. The coverlet measures 93 inches by 77 inches and was constructed from two panels woven as one length, cut, and sewn together in the center.
Description
Matthew Rattray (1796-1872) woven is blue and white, Jacquard, double cloth coverlet in Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana in 1853. The coverlet measures 93 inches by 77 inches and was constructed from two panels woven as one length, cut, and sewn together in the center. There is self-fringe along the bottom edge. The centerfield design is foliate and geometric carpet medallion motif. The side borders show pairs of adorsed birds of paradise perched on branches. The lower border shows pairs of birds feeding their young on oak tree branches. The corner block logo is an eagle with twenty-six stars and the date, 1853. This cornerblock trademark is associated with the coverlet weaver, Matthew Rattray. Rattray was born and trained as a fancy weaver in Paisley, Scotland. Although there has yet to be evidence discovered, it is likely that Rattray first immigrated to America to work for a large industrial mill in New England before moving West to Indiana in the early 1840s. Once in Indiana, Rattray advertised extensively about his New York-made Jacquard machine, his ability to design and replicate patterns, and his proficiency at Figured and Fancy carpets, coverlets, and other fancy goods.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1853
ID Number
TE.T17894
catalog number
T17894.000
accession number
319019
This blue and white, jacquard, double-woven coverlet was woven in two sections, each 37.25 inches wide. The total coverlet measures 97 7/8 inches by 74 ½ inches.
Description
This blue and white, jacquard, double-woven coverlet was woven in two sections, each 37.25 inches wide. The total coverlet measures 97 7/8 inches by 74 ½ inches. The centerfield pattern is composed of stylized dogwood flower medallions interspersed with bellflower-inspired carpet tiles. The side borders feature an meandering vine with irises. The bottom border features a scrolling floral vine associated with the LaTourette family of Fountain City, Indiana. This attribution is further confirmed by the flower in the cornerblock, which is the trademark of the LaTourette family. The appearance of the word "Year" indicates it was woven by Sarah LaTourette, or her brother Henry. John LaTourette. John LaTourette, the family patriarch, was born into a New York/New Jersey, Huguenot weaving family in 1793. He and his wife, Sarah Schenck moved West after their marriage in 1816, moving from Ohio to Fountain County, Indiana in 1828. It is here where John established his weaving business and taught daughter Sarah (b. 1822) and son, Henry (b. 1832) the art of Jacquard weaving. John died in 1848, and his children carried on the family business, weaving their last coverlet in 1871.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1858
referenced
LaTourette, Sarah
maker
LaTourette, Sarah
LaTourette, Henry
ID Number
TE.T2735
catalog number
T02735.000
accession number
058524
Sarah LaTourette (1822-1914) and/or her brother, Henry LaTourette (1832-1892) wove this blue and white, Jacquard, double-cloth coverlet in 1850 in Fountain County, Indiana. Today, the coverlet exists as two separate panels, which is how it would have been woven—as one length.
Description
Sarah LaTourette (1822-1914) and/or her brother, Henry LaTourette (1832-1892) wove this blue and white, Jacquard, double-cloth coverlet in 1850 in Fountain County, Indiana. Today, the coverlet exists as two separate panels, which is how it would have been woven—as one length. The centerfield pattern features a “Double Rose” carpet medallion motif accented by geometric stars. There are two border designs. The side border depicts birds, likely peacocks, perched in trees, alongside urns and cathedrals. The bottom border features a meandering floral vine. John LaTourette (1793-1849), Sarah and Henry’s father, was also a weaver who came from a long line of Huguenot weavers in New York and New Jersey. John and his wife moved West in 1816, first settling in Germantown, Ohio, where Sarah was born, then later moving to Indiana. John LaTourette’s trademark was the rose seen here. His children continued using his mark after his death in 1846, but they added the word, “year” to the design to differentiate their coverlets from his. Sarah LaTourette wove until her marriage to John Van Sickle in 1870, and Henry LaTourette continued weaving until 1871. Each panel measures 90 inches by 36 inches.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1850
referenced
LaTourette, Sarah
maker
LaTourette, Henry
LaTourette, Sarah
ID Number
TE.T2734.B
catalog number
T002734B
accession number
058524
The date 1852, and a large single star, surrounded by 24 smaller stars, appears in the two lower cornerblocks of this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet. The overall pattern consists of stylized floral forms in medallion form, with a dotted ground.
Description
The date 1852, and a large single star, surrounded by 24 smaller stars, appears in the two lower cornerblocks of this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet. The overall pattern consists of stylized floral forms in medallion form, with a dotted ground. There are two borders present. The lower border is a meandering grapevine, and the side borders feature stylized Gothic buildings and flower baskets. There is a fringe along the lower edge. The star surrounded by stars is believed to be the mark of weaver Samuel Stinger of Indiana and Ohio. Samuel Stringer was born January 22, 1801, in Pennsylvania. He married ca. 1824 Christina Lindermood in Ohio. In 1835 he moved to Indiana. He died February 11, 1879, in Carthage, Rush Co. IN.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1852
weaver
Stinger, Samuel
ID Number
TE.T13232
catalog number
T13232.000
accession number
251662
This coverlet panel represents one half of a completed Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet. Members of the Craig family wove this coverlet in 1847 in Decatur County, Indiana.
Description
This coverlet panel represents one half of a completed Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet. Members of the Craig family wove this coverlet in 1847 in Decatur County, Indiana. The centerfield features a lattice created by a combination of square, stylized floral rosettes, berries and lotus-like flowers, and Great Seal Eagle. The incorporation of the woven inscription, “LIBERTY” helps to tie the design together. In the lattice openings are alternating bands of “Double Lotus” and “Double Bellflower” patterns. Both of these patterns are variations of the more traditional “Double Rose” and “Lilies of France” patterns. The top and bottom borders feature the Craig family signature “Bellflower and Bluebell” border. The side border combines the “Peacock Feeding its Young” motif with oversized urns and domed buildings. The cornerblocks are the traditional Craig family trademark—the dated courthouse with cupola.
This panel measures 83x36 inches and would have been one of two. There is evidence of self-fringe along the top and bottom edges although this just as likely could be unravelling due to the rolled hems coming loose with time. The double-cloth structure requires two sets of warps and wefts. 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun cotton yarns and 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun wool yarns were used in alternation combination to create this coverlet.
The donor received this coverlet panel from her grandmother, Courtney McCoy Kanouse (1850-1934). The other panel went to a sister and is now likely in the collection of Hanover College, Indiana as they possess an identical panel, but more research is needed to confirm this. Courtney and her husband, John R. Kanouse (1843-1909) were, at the time of his death, among the wealthiest citizens in Decatur County, Indiana. John operated a general store in the villages of St. Omer and St. Paul and owned land in northern Adams Township. The Kanouse land neighbored the holdings of wealthy farmer and Kentucky native, Isaiah McCoy (1814-1909), Mary’s father. It is this close proximity that likely led to their marriage in 1871. The life dates and marriage date of Courtney and John are curious when compared to the 1847 date on the coverlet panel. Parents often ordered coverlets in groups for their children and is likely the case with this coverlet. Isaiah and his wife, Mary Short (1816-1891) were married in 1838. In the 1850 Federal Census the couple was listed as having five children—John, Nancy, Benjamin, Eliza, and Julia. Courtney, aged ten, and sister, Armonda, aged six, both appear for the first time in the 1860 Federal Census.
This leaves a few options open for the coverlet’s commission. The first possibility is that Isaiah and Mary McCoy commissioned a group of coverlets for their children in 1847, the oldest of whom, John would have been eight-years-old. A second possibility is that the coverlet was passed down through the Kanouse family and could possibly commemorate the marriage of John R, Kanouse’s parents, who due to variations in the surname spelling, have not yet been identified. However, we do know that John was born in Decatur County, Indiana, but more research is needed to follow this lead. Whatever the case, we are able to better understand the types of customer’s for whom a coverlet weaver would be working.
Date made
1847
maker
Craig Family
ID Number
1990.0293.01
catalog number
1990.0293.01
accession number
1990.0293
This Craig Family, Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet panel features a "Peacocks Feeding Their Young" centerfield pattern and a “Christians and Heathens” side border with the Craig family signature, "Bluebells and Bellflower" top and bottom borders.
Description
This Craig Family, Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet panel features a "Peacocks Feeding Their Young" centerfield pattern and a “Christians and Heathens” side border with the Craig family signature, "Bluebells and Bellflower" top and bottom borders. The panel can be attributed to the Craig Family because of the two dated trademark cornerblocks which feature a courthouse with cupola. The coverlet was woven from two sets of warps and wefts made up of indigo-dyed 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun wool and bleached 3-ply, S-twist, Z-spun cotton. "Peacocks Feeding Their Young" centerfield pattern features male peacocks feeding young birds in the nest and two female peafowl on a in a confronted position. The arrangement of the centerfield pattern creates an ogival lattice with floral and Grecian urn motif infills. The “Christians and Heathens” side border design had many variations and featured a blend of Neoclassical and Eastern architecture with palms and played to tastes for Eastern exoticism.
The Craig Family weavers consist of Scottish-born, William Craig, Sr. (1800-1880), Scottish-born cousin, James Craig (1819-1896), William Craig, Jr. (1824-1880), and James Craig (1823-1889) make up the two generations of weavers who intermarried with other Scottish immigrant weaving families, dominating the coverlet market in Floyd, Decatur, and Washington counties in Indiana. It is almost certain that their regional influence extended into Western Kentucky as well. The Craigs were prodigious weavers and entrepreneurs and the number of extant coverlets attest to this fact. Also of interest is a published interview with William Sr.'s granddaughter, Rena Craig Gilchrist found in Indiana Coverlets and Coverlet Weavers (1928) by Kate Milner Rabb. Rena Craig Gilchrist recounted how her grandfather was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland in 1800, moving to South Carolina in 1820 to assume the role of foreman at a Southern cotton goods factory. In 1832 the Craigs and other immigrant weaving families, the Gilchrists and Youngs moved to Mt. Caramel, Indiana. In 1838, the family moved again, further distributing weavers, to Decatur County, Indiana. The Craigs at first wove on their farm just outside of Greensburg, Indiana, but soon sons William Jr. and James ventured out on their own, marrying other weaver’s daughters, and establishing workshops in Greensburg and Anderson. Their coverlet weaving became regionally famous and people were reported as having come from fifty to sixty miles by wagon with woolen yarn for enough coverlets for each child at marriage.
The Craigs continued to weave until 1860 when William Sr. retired. Cousin James opened a shop in Canton, Indiana. A local resident described his loom as," “different from any other loom I have ever seen in that the threads of the warp were each run through a loop of cords to which were attached leaden weights about the size of an ordinary lead pencil, and I should think from twelve to fifteen inches in length. I do not remember accurately about that. The other end of each cord was attached to a pedal, of which there was a considerable number. A number of cords may have been attached to a pedal, according to the colors and figures being used. This enabled him to depress any of the threads of the warp that he pleased by operating the pedals with his feet, thus opening a space for the passing of the shuttle, of which he used as many as he wished colors in the pattern.” This description suggests that members of the Craig family were using modified drawlooms, possibly what is sometimes referred to a Scotch loom, which was used to weave figured double-cloth ingrain carpet. This is interesting because the introduction of the Jacquard head attachment, which used chains of punch cards, made figured weaving much faster and cheaper in the decades before the Craig family’s foray into coverlet weaving.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1849
maker
Craig Family
ID Number
TE.T12174
catalog number
T12174.000
accession number
232964
The blue and white, Jacquard double-cloth coverlet features a carpet medallion centerfield design composed of floral medallions and scalloped foliate-filled diamonds. The border is a meandering/running floral design and unique to the maker, John LaTourette.
Description
The blue and white, Jacquard double-cloth coverlet features a carpet medallion centerfield design composed of floral medallions and scalloped foliate-filled diamonds. The border is a meandering/running floral design and unique to the maker, John LaTourette. There is a self-fringe at the lower edge of the coverlet. A stylized flower trademark is woven into each of the lower corners, and below it, the date 1844. This flower trademark is associated with the LaTourette family of Fountain County, Indiana, and the 1844 date suggests that John (Jean) S. LaTourette was the weaver.
The LaTourette family immigrated to Staten Island, New York in 1685, just after Louis XIV’s revocation of the Edict of Nantes, when French Protestants, known as Huguenots, were forced to either convert to Catholicism or leave the Kingdom of France. As a result, there was a mass exodus of craftspeople to Protestant Europe and the British American colonies. John (Jean) S. LaTourette (1793-1849) was born in New Jersey to a weaver and Revolutionary War veteran also named John G. Latourette (1749-1813). After serving in the War of 1812, John married his wife, Sarah Schenck (1799-1873) in 1816.
The couple immediate headed west, first settling in Germantown, Ohio were the first half of fourteen children were born. In 1828, John LaTourette purchased eighty-acres in what would become Wabash Township, Fountain City, Indiana. The LaTourettes were among the first European settlers in the area. The family initially lived in a log cabin and spent most of their energy clearing the land, farming, and weaving a variety of goods for their neighbors.
After 1840, the weaving began to shift to exclusively coverlets and the log cabin became the loomhouse as the family built a larger brick home on their farm. This is also the time that two of his children, Sarah (1822-1914) and Henry (1832-1892) began to weave with their father. There are several extant accounts that there were at least three looms on the property. In an interview, John’s youngest son, Schuyler LaTourette described the looms the family used to weave the coverlets, indicating that they used punch-cards associated with the Jacquard loom introduced to the United States during the 1820s. John S. LaTourette died in 1849, leaving the booming weaving business in the able hands of his daughter Sarah and son Henry who continued to weave coverlets until 1871.
This coverlet is in excellent overall condition and is a wonderful example of one of Indiana’s famous coverlet-weaving dynasties. We can attribute this coverlet to John because of the 1844 date during his lifetime and the omission of the word “year” from the cornerblock. His children would continue to use the same cornerblock as their father but added the word “year” to differentiate their work from that of their father.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1844
possible maker
LaTourette, John
maker
LaTourette, John
ID Number
TE.T14001
catalog number
T14001.000
accession number
269209
This coverlet was woven by the LaTourette family, likely John LaTourette (1793-1849) in Fountain County, Indiana in 1842. John and his wife moved from New York and New Jersey first to Germantown, Ohio in 1816. The family moved again in 1828 to Fountain County, Indiana.
Description
This coverlet was woven by the LaTourette family, likely John LaTourette (1793-1849) in Fountain County, Indiana in 1842. John and his wife moved from New York and New Jersey first to Germantown, Ohio in 1816. The family moved again in 1828 to Fountain County, Indiana. By 1840, John had established a successful weaving business for himself and his family on their farm. John trained both his daughter Sarah (1822-1914) and son, Henry (1832-1892) to weave as well, and after John’s death in 1849 his children continued the thriving business until 1871. The family was of French Huguenot stock, migrating to New York at the end of the seventeenth century. This coverlet was woven in two panels on a hand loom with a Jacquard attachment. The family still possesses a photograph of the loom attachment sitting on the porch of the house in Indiana. The centerfield pattern is an elaborate floral carpet medallion arrangement. There are borders along three sides. The side borders feature flowering urns and floral motifs, and the lower border depicts scrolling floral designs. The LaTourette family all used the same rose cornerblock design. Sarah and Henry’s later coverlets incorporate the word “YEAR” in to the cornerblock designs differentiating them from those of their father.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1842
referenced
LaTourette, John
maker
LaTourette, John
ID Number
TE.T12816
catalog number
T12816.000
accession number
242607
William Craig, Sr. (1800-1880) wove this rust, white and blue, double-cloth coverlet. The centerfield design is composed of floral and foliate carpet medallions. There are borders along three sides. The two side borders feature vertically-oriented flowering urns.
Description
William Craig, Sr. (1800-1880) wove this rust, white and blue, double-cloth coverlet. The centerfield design is composed of floral and foliate carpet medallions. There are borders along three sides. The two side borders feature vertically-oriented flowering urns. The lower border features pairs of confronted birds, possibly doves, perched on flowers. Between those pairs of birds is an Asian, Chinoiserie or Ottoman-style domed building underneath what appears to be a Mediterranean castle. The corner blocks are curiously mosques topped with onion domes and crescent moons. William Craig is know to have used this cornerblock trademark. The date 1850 appears in the two lower corners. There is fringe along the lower border. This coverlet belonged to the grandmother of the donor, Jane Russell of Clinton County, Indiana.
The Craig Family weavers consist of Scottish-born, William Craig, Sr. (1800-1880), Scottish-born cousin, James Craig (1819-1896), William Craig, Jr. (1824-1880), and James Craig (1823-1889) make up the two generations of weavers who intermarried with other Scottish immigrant weaving families, dominating the coverlet market in Floyd, Decatur, and Washington counties in Indiana. It is almost certain that their regional influence extended into Western Kentucky as well. The Craigs were prodigious weavers and entrepreneurs and the number of extant coverlets attest to this fact.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850
maker
Craig, William
ID Number
TE.T12728
catalog number
T12728.000
accession number
239334
Samuel Graham (1805-1871) of Henry and Delaware Counties, Indiana wove this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet featuring the profile of presidential candidate and Major General Zachary Taylor in 1847.
Description
Samuel Graham (1805-1871) of Henry and Delaware Counties, Indiana wove this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet featuring the profile of presidential candidate and Major General Zachary Taylor in 1847. The centerfield is made of up double profile bust portaits of Taylor which form squares which are filled with double fylfot or swastika designs. The fylfot is a common folk motif that can be traced back millennia. The three borders all depict a tree design. Beyond the tree border is a very thin border of the words, "Rough and Ready" repeated over and over. “Rough and Ready” was Taylor’s nickname earned during his many battles against Native American groups and in the Mexican-American War and was later used as a campaign slogan during the election campaign of 1847-1848. The cornerblocks feature a spread-wing eagle on a branch. This is Graham’s preferred trademark design. = The date 1847 appears in two corners. The coverlet was constructed from two panels and measures 83 inches by 76 inches. The coverlet originally belonged to U.S. Representative, Hamilton Fish’s (NY) secretary, George Hill who inherited the coverlet from his mother.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1847
depicted
Taylor, Zachary
possible maker
Graham, Samuel
weaver
Graham, Samuel
ID Number
TE.T8401
catalog number
T8401
accession number
156229
Eliza Jane Todd’s silk quilt top is pieced in the “Honeycomb” or “Mosaic” pattern, also referred to as “Grandmother’s Flower Garden.” One inch hexagons are seamed by overcasting into 6 ½-inch “flowers” each having a dark center hexagon.
Description
Eliza Jane Todd’s silk quilt top is pieced in the “Honeycomb” or “Mosaic” pattern, also referred to as “Grandmother’s Flower Garden.” One inch hexagons are seamed by overcasting into 6 ½-inch “flowers” each having a dark center hexagon. Many have outer rings of red silk hexagons. The “flowers” are separated by black hexagons. A 3 ½-inch border of red silk ribbon is outlined with bands of black silk. Included at the time of donation was a paper hexagon pattern cut from a letter dated Sept. 14, 1835, that had fallen off the quilt.
Eliza Jane Todd was born in Indiana in 1820, the daughter of Robert William Todd (1795?-1885) and Catherine McCully (1800-1860), granddaughter of Owen Todd (1762-1817) and Maria Jane Paxton (1771-1834). The family was related to Mary Todd Lincoln, and Thomas Paxton, who fought at Valley Forge. Eliza never married. She died in 1895 and is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida.
Eliza Jane lived with her parents in Madison, Indiana, for most of her life. Later (about 1880) she stayed with her sister, Anna Maria Todd Smith, in Chattanooga, Tennessee and Florida. In the 1850s, The Western Horticultural Review (Volume III, 1853) noted “. . . that a female competitor has successfully entered the lists in the department of Pomology, and feel bound to allude in flattering terms to the fruits presented by Miss E.J. Todd, of Madison (Indiana)” Eliza Jane (E.J. Todd) was the recipient of several awards for her fruits (pears, grapes, quinces), preserves and floral arrangements.
Until the donation, the quilt had been in the donor’s family. After Eliza Jane’s death, the quilt was with Anna Maria Todd Smith who was the donor’s grandmother. In 1936, the donor, Anna Perkins Stewart, donated her great aunt's quilt to the Museum.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1835-1850
maker
Todd, Eliza Jane
ID Number
TE.T07742
accession number
138944
catalog number
T07742
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
In 1939, Millie Medaris’s granddaughter donated this “Ocean Wave” pieced quilt. Unfortunately, little is known at this time about the quilt maker.
Description
In 1939, Millie Medaris’s granddaughter donated this “Ocean Wave” pieced quilt. Unfortunately, little is known at this time about the quilt maker. The “Ocean Wave” has been a popular pattern at various times and this mid-nineteenth-century quilt provides a competently rendered example.
The quilt is composed of fourteen-inch blocks pieced of plain and printed triangles around plain cotton centers. A three-inch white cotton border frames the “Ocean Wave” pattern, enhanced by a ¾-inch printed cotton strip along the inside edges of the two sides. The fabrics used, typical of the late 1850s, are plain-colored, roller-printed, and checked cottons. All the pieced triangles are outline-quilted, with clamshell quilting on the white centers and double diagonal lines on the border. It is finely quilted, 10 stitches per inch.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1855-1860
maker
Medaris, Millie
ID Number
TE.T08358
accession number
153091
catalog number
T08358
This machine pieced and quilted example of the “Tumbling Blocks” pattern was given to the donor’s aunt by her great-great aunt, Julia Ross, in 1878. It is not known whether Julia made the parlor throw.
Description
This machine pieced and quilted example of the “Tumbling Blocks” pattern was given to the donor’s aunt by her great-great aunt, Julia Ross, in 1878. It is not known whether Julia made the parlor throw. She lived in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The “Tumbling Blocks” (also known as “Baby’s Blocks” or “Cube Work”) are 7/8-inch silk diamonds, precisely machine stitched, to create the overall geometric design. The pieced center section is tied with a thick silk thread, but only through the cotton lining and batting. The “Blocks” are framed by an 8-inch machine-quilted blue silk border. The use of various silk fabrics; plain-woven, faille, brocade, damask, woven stripes, and even a few with cut velvet motifs, contribute to the eye-catching quality of this parlor throw.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1875-1880
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T13572
catalog number
T13572
accession number
258907
Crazy-patch Parlor/slumber throw. Forty-two 11-inch square blocks pieced in the crazy-patch pattern. Each block has an embroidered name. Several surnames repeat. Two central blocks embroidered “NELLIE BOWMAN TEACHER” and “HARRISON CENTER SCHOOL 1918”.
Description (Brief)
Crazy-patch Parlor/slumber throw. Forty-two 11-inch square blocks pieced in the crazy-patch pattern. Each block has an embroidered name. Several surnames repeat. Two central blocks embroidered “NELLIE BOWMAN TEACHER” and “HARRISON CENTER SCHOOL 1918”. The school is located in Elkhart Co., Indiana. Lined with a floral cotton. The quilt is tied, 9 - 11 ties per block.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1918
maker
Bowman, Nellie
quilter
Bowman, Nellie
ID Number
2014.0244.103
accession number
2014.0244
catalog number
2014.0244.103
Two quilted and stuffed blocks help identify this quilt; “M. L. Mc May 24th 1860” (Mary Larson McCrea) and “J Mc” (Rev. James McCrea, her husband).
Description
Two quilted and stuffed blocks help identify this quilt; “M. L. Mc May 24th 1860” (Mary Larson McCrea) and “J Mc” (Rev. James McCrea, her husband). According to family information that accompanied the donation, a close inspection of the quilt even reveals the handprint of one of her children. Other designs in the quilting were inspired by the ferns and flowers gathered near her home.
This pieced quilt artistically embodies two quilting techniques popular in mid-nineteenth-century America: raised and ground quilting. Sixteen 10-inch blocks, pieced of plain white and printed red cottons in the “Crown” pattern, are set diagonally with elaborately quilted and stuffed plain white blocks in floral patterns. The quilt has a 9-inch border edged by two pieced sawtooth bands, the inner one of the same fabric as the pieced blocks, the outer one composed of green printed cotton. It is quilted with feathered vines. The quilting is 10 stitches per inch, all a fine tribute to Mary McCrea’s needlework and design skills.
Mary Lawson Ruth, daughter of Samuel and Margaret Ruth, was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, in 1835. The family, like many in that period, moved to Ohio where Mary received her education and taught school at Millwood (Quaker City), Ohio. An account of Quaker City, Ohio, describes the early school, founded in 1810, as a log cabin equipped with a few books and a supply of hickory and beech switches, although by the time Mary was teaching in the 1850s the school presumably had improved.
On July 3rd, 1856, Mary married Rev. James McCrea. A white silk shawl with a white silk embroidered floral border that was worn by Mary McCrea at her wedding was included in the donation. They had seven children.
She was profiled in family information as an “accomplished needlewoman . . . proven by the exquisite stitchery in the quilt and infants’ clothing.” A baptismal gown, also part of the donation, was made for her first child, Samuel P. McCrea, born in 1857, and subsequently worn by all her children. “She made all of the clothing worn by her family including her husband [his clothes].” James McCrea was both a teacher and ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church. Mary died in December 1880 and is buried in the Murray, Indiana, cemetery. The “Crown” quilt as well as jewelry, infant apparel, and family portraits, were included in the bequest to the Smithsonian by Miss Mary E. McCrea in 1941.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1860
maker
McCrea, Mary Lawson Ruth
ID Number
TE.T08582
accession number
160721
catalog number
T08582
Eliza Rosecrans Hussey personalized her pieced wool-and silk-star quilt with symbols of the Masonic Society. The embroidered motifs are interspersed between twenty-five blocks pieced in a variation of the “Feathered Star” pattern.
Description
Eliza Rosecrans Hussey personalized her pieced wool-and silk-star quilt with symbols of the Masonic Society. The embroidered motifs are interspersed between twenty-five blocks pieced in a variation of the “Feathered Star” pattern. Another silk quilt in the Collection was also made by Eliza, and was embroidered with symbols and inscriptions of the Odd Fellows. Edward Simmons Hussey, her husband, was an active member of both the Masons and the Odd Fellows.
Eliza, born October 14, 1816, in Pennsylvania, went with her family to Indiana as a young child. She married September 17, 1835. Edward Simmons Hussey in Carlisle, Indiana. They lived in various Indiana towns while Edward worked as a merchant, hotel manager, book keeper, and express agent.
By 1860 they had settled in Brazil, Indiana, where Eliza worked as a milliner. There they raised their family of ten children. Eliza, after some years as an invalid, died March 23,1880. Her carefully designed and crafted quilts are a reminder of the importance of benevolent societies such as the Masons and the Odd Fellows in the developing towns and cities in the Midwest in the first half of the nineteenth century.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1840
quilter
Hussey, Eliza Rosenkrantz
ID Number
1981.0680.01
catalog number
1981.0680.01
accession number
1981.0680

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.