Textiles

Coverlet

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.

Place: United States

American Woolen Co. Suiting sample, 1912

American Woolen Co. all worsted mixture Suiting fabric sample in very dark gray, 1912Manufactured by the National and Providence Worsted Mills, Providence, RI.
Description
American Woolen Co. all worsted mixture Suiting fabric sample in very dark gray, 1912
Manufactured by the National and Providence Worsted Mills, Providence, RI. The Providence and National Worsted Mills, founded in Rhode Island in the 1870s, were originally two companies owned by Charles Fletcher, one a spinning and one a weaving mill for working with worsted yarns. Fletcher amalgamated the two companies into one in 1893, and then sold this company to the large Lawrence-based American Woolen Company in 1899. When the Lawrence mill workers struck against pay cuts in 1912 (the Bread and Roses strike), the American Woolen Company was one of the firms affected. The Rhode Island mills, however, did not strike.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1912
maker
National and Providence Worsted Mills
ID Number
TE.T00230
catalog number
T00230.000
accession number
54882

1922 Clarkesville Reformed Church Embroidered Counterpane

This redwork embroidered counterpane was most likely made as a fund raiser for the Clarksville Reformed Church. It is dedicated to “Rev. Boyce Pastor.
Description
This redwork embroidered counterpane was most likely made as a fund raiser for the Clarksville Reformed Church. It is dedicated to “Rev. Boyce Pastor. Peggy His wife, Rex Their dog.” According to further inscriptions on the quilt, the occasion was the “Clarksville Reformed Church Fair Dec. 8th 1922.”
A twelve-petal daisy is the motif of the forty-eight blocks, the petals providing spaces for over 500 embroidered names. First, the names were written in pencil, and then embroidered with red cotton. In a few instances, a different name is embroidered over the original penciled name. One block utilized the spaces for advertising: “Priced / Lowest / The / Transportation / Economical / Motor Cars / Chevrolet / Wright / Gardner / Automobile / Equipped / Fully.” Presumably a small donation, maybe ten or twenty-five cents, assured one’s name embroidered on the counterpane. Further funds may have been secured by a raffle at the December fair. Or it may have been given to Pastor Boyce as a token of appreciation. Quilts or counterpanes such as this are still used, as they have been for more than 150 years, to raise funds for worthy causes.
The Clarksville Reformed Church was established in 1853, when a building was erected to serve the congregation. Sadly, this church was destroyed by fire on a cold February Sunday in 1912. The congregation rallied to rebuild and less then a year later, in January 1913, they were able to hold services in a new church. Clarksville in the 1920s, when this counterpane was made, was a small village in Albany County, New York. Reverend Boyce was the pastor for the Clarksville Reformed Church from 1919 to 1926 and also the Reformed Church in Westerlo, New York. In the 1950s Clarksville was still a small village and it became increasingly difficult to support the church. Another church in Clarksville, the Methodist Episcopal Church, also faced similar problems, and the solution was to merge the two. By the mid-1960s, a new church was dedicated whose sign incorporates the two bells from the older churches, symbolizing the origins of the new Clarksville Community Church.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1922
maker
unknown
ID Number
1995.0011.02
accession number
1995.0011
catalog number
1995.0011.02

1850 - 1851 Eliza Jane Baile's "Bride's" Quilt

Eliza Jane Baile lovingly stitched and inscribed this cotton album quilt top, finishing a few weeks after her marriage to Levi Manahan in 1851. Original patterns of wreaths of strawberries and flowers are framed by a strawberry vine along the quilt border.
Description
Eliza Jane Baile lovingly stitched and inscribed this cotton album quilt top, finishing a few weeks after her marriage to Levi Manahan in 1851. Original patterns of wreaths of strawberries and flowers are framed by a strawberry vine along the quilt border. Three blocks incorporate inked inscriptions within scrolls. On one corner, one may read “E J Baile. Commenced June 1850” and on the opposite corner, “Finished October 30 185l.” A third scroll has the following sentiment carefully penned:
“Sweett flowers bright as Indian Sky
Yet mild as Beauty’s soft blue eye;
Thy charms tho’ unassuming shed /
A modest splendoure o’er the mead.”
Great attention was given to the completion of this quilt. The sawteeth of the border are individually appliquéd and the strawberries stuffed. All of the motifs have outline quilting, with closely quilted background lines, 10 stitches to the inch. The overall design is further enhanced with embroidery and small details drawn in ink or watercolor.
Eliza Jane Baile, the daughter of Abner Baile (1807-1894) and Frances Pole Baile (1813-1893) was born February 13, 1832, in Maryland. According to Eliza’s obituary, her mother was a descendent of Edward III, King of England. At age nineteen, Eliza married Levi Manahan ((1824-1893) on October 11, 1851. They reared eight children on a farm near Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland.
Eliza was not only an accomplished quilter, she was also known as a folk artist. One of her oil paintings, Stone Chapel of the Methodist Church is at the Historical Society of Carroll County. Other paintings are owned and treasured by her descendents. An active member of the Stone Chapel United Methodist Church, Eliza also founded a Ladies Mite Society and served as president for 50 years. Mite Societies were voluntary organizations that were established in the nineteenth century to raise monies for mission work.
Eliza died June 25, 1923, age 91, at her home in Westminster and is buried at the Stone Chapel Cemetery. As her obituary in the Daily News, Frederick, Maryland, notes, “Her Christian character endeared her to many friends. She was well known as an artist.” In 1954, Eliza’s youngest daughter, Addie, donated her mother’s quilt to the Smithsonian. Eliza's artistic abilities are well represented in the “Bride’s Quilt” she designed and made for her marriage.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1851
maker
Baile, Eliza Jane
ID Number
TE.T011149
accession number
202673
catalog number
T11149

A H Straus and Co 'Luxor Taffeta' dress silk, Peruvian design; 1917.

A H Straus & Co 'Luxor Taffeta' dress silk, Peruvian-inspired allover design; 1917. Luxor taffeta. A lustrous reversible discharge printed fabric with the design taken from a woven tissue of ancient Peru. Shows fantastical geometric forms.
Description
A H Straus & Co 'Luxor Taffeta' dress silk, Peruvian-inspired allover design; 1917. Luxor taffeta. A lustrous reversible discharge printed fabric with the design taken from a woven tissue of ancient Peru. Shows fantastical geometric forms. Colors include green, cerise, gold, and blue on a black ground. Overall effect is of alternating wavy and zigzagging patterned horizontal bands.
A. H. Straus and Co. was active in the 1910s and 1920s. The company was based in New York City and was a premier importer and manufacturer of printed silks. Many fabric lengths in this collection have prints copied from ancient textiles.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1917
ID Number
TE.T02553.000
accession number
61633
catalog number
T02553.000

Armenian Needle Lace Centerpiece

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20thCentury
maker
Kasparian, Alice Odian
ID Number
1996.0121.06
accession number
1996.0121

Six skeins Japan tram silk, dyed; National Silk Dyeing Co., 1915

Six skeins of thrown silk: eight thread Japan tram, dyed; National Silk Dyeing Co., 1915. Thrown silk: eight thread Japan Tram dyed--used in knitting hosiery, weaving braids, etc. Colors: pink, light blue, yellow red, green, and black.
Description
Six skeins of thrown silk: eight thread Japan tram, dyed; National Silk Dyeing Co., 1915. Thrown silk: eight thread Japan Tram dyed--used in knitting hosiery, weaving braids, etc. Colors: pink, light blue, yellow red, green, and black. Part of a donation of 63 samples representing the processes of silk skein-dyeing, and silk piece-dyeing and printing, given by the National Silk Dyeing Co of Paterson, New Jersey, in 1915. National Silk Dyeing Co., headquartered at 140 Market St., Paterson, NJ was formed from five silk dyeing firms in Peterson, NJ (Auger & Simon Silk Dyeing Company; Emil Geering Silk Dyeing Co., Knipscher & Maas Silk Dyeing Company, Kearns Brothers, and Gaede Silk Dyeing Co.) and a fifth company from Allentown, Pa. (Lotte Brothers under the leadership of Charles I. Auger. National Silk Dyeing immediately became one of the large silk dyeing conglomerates in the nation. It operated into the Great Depression but was eventually broken up and sold off.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1915
maker
National Silk Dyeing Co.
ID Number
TE.T02797.000
catalog number
T02797.000
accession number
58940
catalog number
T2797

Michael Eichman Figured and Fancy tied-beiderwand coverlet; Pennsylvania, 1850

Michael Eichman (1814-1883) wove this Figured and Fancy, red, white, blue, and green, tied-Beiderwand coverlet in Juniata County, Pennsylvania in 1850. The name of the weaver, Michael Eichman, and the location Juniata, Co.
Description
Michael Eichman (1814-1883) wove this Figured and Fancy, red, white, blue, and green, tied-Beiderwand coverlet in Juniata County, Pennsylvania in 1850. The name of the weaver, Michael Eichman, and the location Juniata, Co. Penn., are woven into the two lower corners along with the date, 1850. The center field pattern is made up of “Double Lily and Starburst” carpet medallions, and the three borders feature “Rose Tree” motifs. The colors appear in stripes across the coverlet, a common design feature of Pennsylvania woven coverlets. There is no center seam indicating that Eichman was using a broadloom and possibly involved in small factory production. The coverlet measures 88 inches by 72 inches. There were several small woolen mills in Juniata County that could have employed Eichman as a fancy weaver. The coverlet was made for a member of the Phillip Crater family. It descended in the family of his son Joel, who was born in Pennsylvania, but by 1850 and according to the Federal Census, the family had moved to Illinois. In 1884 the family went to Missouri by covered wagon and the coverlet went with them. Michael Eichman was born in Hamburg in the German States, immigrating to Philadelphia in 1836, possibly working at one of the many textile factories in and around the city. He soon relocated to Freeburg, Snyder County. Family legend recorded that Eichman would carry his coverlets on his back and sell them on his way from Snyder County to Philadelphia. This was evidently a successful venture because he was able to purchase land in Cocolamus, Juniata County where he continued to weave and farm.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1830
maker
Michael Eichman
ID Number
2002.0306.01
accession number
2002.0306

attr. Henry Goodrich; coverlet, Figured and Fancy, double-cloth; 1831; New York

This is a blue and white, double-cloth, Figured and Fancy coverlet features along fringe three sides, and a spread eagle lower border. The center design is variation of the “Double Rose” carpet medallion pattern with ivy leaf accents.
Description
This is a blue and white, double-cloth, Figured and Fancy coverlet features along fringe three sides, and a spread eagle lower border. The center design is variation of the “Double Rose” carpet medallion pattern with ivy leaf accents. The side borders display an interlocking “Double Flower” motif that is reminiscent of lotus flowers. The two lower corner blocks feature pairs of dogs and a woven inscription which reads, "1831 EAW/ Pompey." There is a four inch self-fringe on the lower edge and an applied fringe on the sides that is also four inches long. The coverlet was constructed of two panels that were woven as one length, cut, and seamed up the middle.
This coverlet was woven in Pompey, Onondaga County, New York in 1831. There has been some scholarly debate about who the Pompey weaver(s) may have been. At first scholars looked for a weaver with the last name Pompey, but they quickly realized the weaver was operating in the town of Pompey. There are extant dated coverlets in this style ranging from 1831-1836. There three coverlet weavers in Pompey at the time. Benjamin June and his son, Benjamin Jr. and Henry L. Goodrich. All three of these weavers could possibly be the maker of this and the other Pompey coverlets; however, the signed June family coverlets omit the town name from their designs, leaving Goodrich the most likely candidate. Federal census records list Henry as a resident of Rensselaer County, New York in 1830 and 1840, but occupation was not a recorded category in the early census. It is unclear when and why Henry spent time in Onondaga County and more research is needed to unravel the mystery and confirm or deny the attribution of these coverlets to Goodrich. The style of this coverlet is reflective the organization, arrangement, and style of the earlier Figured and Fancy coverlets foun
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1831
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T18211
catalog number
T18211.000
accession number
1977.0101

Hempfield Railroad; coverlet; Figured and Fancy; double-cloth; c. 1851; Pennsylvania or West Virginia

An unidentified weaver wove this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double cloth coverlet. The centerfield design features oak leaf and flower, sprig and floral, foliate swag, and leaf carpet medallions. All four of the borders depict the No.
Description
An unidentified weaver wove this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double cloth coverlet. The centerfield design features oak leaf and flower, sprig and floral, foliate swag, and leaf carpet medallions. All four of the borders depict the No. 240 engine and coal car being operated by the engineer. The cornerblocks depict four profile portraits of M. T. McKennon, the first president of the railroad. He is surrounded by the woven inscription, “Hemfield Railroad.” The Hempfield Railroad was began in 1851 and designed to connect Wheeling, Virginia (current West Virginia) to Washington, Pennsylvania. Construction was not complete until 1857 and the railroad operated until 1871 when it was sold to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. It is not clear if these coverlets were used on the passenger cars or sold to subscribers. The railroad was initially funded through subscription, and it is possible that these coverlets were made to help facilitate that process or just to commemorate the arrival of the railroad. The coverlet was likely made c. 1851 either in Wheeling or Western Pennsylvania. The railroad operated three locomotive engines, six freight and passenger cars, and eleven coal cars.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1851
c. 1851
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T7317
catalog number
T07317.000
accession number
123286

William Skinner and Sons midnight blue nylon twill "Combat Cloth"; 1946

William Skinner and Sons Nylon twill "Combat Cloth" fabric length 1946.Fine, smooth, slightly stiff, close fabric. Used for soles of electrically headed shoes, casualty blankets, coating purposes for government development, football pants, and basketball uniforms.
Description
William Skinner and Sons Nylon twill "Combat Cloth" fabric length 1946.
Fine, smooth, slightly stiff, close fabric. Used for soles of electrically headed shoes, casualty blankets, coating purposes for government development, football pants, and basketball uniforms. See T09 669.000 (Football pants) for application of fabric in different color. Commercially known as Combat Cloth. 2 fabric lengths included; one is 144 inches in length and the other is 36 inches. The longer one has a handstitched hem at the top similar to a curtain and was likely used as a display in a store. It has visible deterioration of color due to sun exposure. The wrong side of the fabric has dirt stains, also likely from being on display. The color is Midnight Blue.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1946
ID Number
TE.T09674A-B
accession number
172805
catalog number
T09674A-B

Aunt Lizzie Reagan's Overshot Coverlet; Tennessee; 1930

Lizzie Reagan wove this overshot coverlet in Tennessee in about 1930. It is made of cotton and wool, and woven in a design that is sometimes known as "Lee's Surrender." Lizzie Reagan was known as Aunt Lizzie, and was an expert on natural dyes.
Description
Lizzie Reagan wove this overshot coverlet in Tennessee in about 1930. It is made of cotton and wool, and woven in a design that is sometimes known as "Lee's Surrender." Lizzie Reagan was known as Aunt Lizzie, and was an expert on natural dyes. She was active in the movement to reintroduce "old" methods such as hand spinning and weaving at the Phi Beta Phi Settlement School in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Such schools were started in the 1880s by benevolent societies in an attempt to encourage and preserve the local material culture, and provide the local artists with income.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1930
maker
Reagan, Lizzie
ID Number
1996.0120.01
catalog number
1996.0120.01
accession number
1996.0120

Chantilly Bobbin Lace Motif

One of a set of six identical curved stylized cone or paisley shaped black silk Chantilly bobbin lace appliqués or insertions. The attached paper tag states "131, 6 pieces, No 10/55, Chantilly, made by hand in Flanders for the C'on for Relief in Belgium, M. Kefer Mali".
Description
One of a set of six identical curved stylized cone or paisley shaped black silk Chantilly bobbin lace appliqués or insertions. The attached paper tag states "131, 6 pieces, No 10/55, Chantilly, made by hand in Flanders for the C'on for Relief in Belgium, M. Kefer Mali". Each piece is labeled "10/55, $.45 each". Madame Kefer-Mali was one of four women on the Lace Committee working with the Commission for Relief in Belgium. The lace was made by Belgian lace makers during World War I.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1914-1918
made during
1914-1918
Helped create Commission for Relief in Belgium
Hoover, Herbert
previous owner
Kefer-Mali, M.
maker
unknown
ID Number
2013.0121.42
accession number
2013.0121
catalog number
2013.0121.42

Milanese Bobbin Lace Border

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
17th century
ID Number
2013.0121.44
accession number
2013.0121
catalog number
2013.0121.44

1900 Mary Watson's Pillow Cover

Mary Dickson Watson, quilted and corded the pink silk crepe pillow cover to match a baby carriage cover (1989.0268.02) that she made for her granddaughter, Mary Dickson Wilson, born in 1900. The quilting in the center quatrefoil depicts two rabbits with a butterfly and flowers.
Description
Mary Dickson Watson, quilted and corded the pink silk crepe pillow cover to match a baby carriage cover (1989.0268.02) that she made for her granddaughter, Mary Dickson Wilson, born in 1900. The quilting in the center quatrefoil depicts two rabbits with a butterfly and flowers. Each corner has a square outlined by corded quilting containing a flower.
Mary Way Dickson was born about 1840. She married Alexander Watson in 1859. Their daughter, Mary Dickson Watson, was born about 1865 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She married Adam Wilson in 1897 and it was for their daughter, Mary Dickson Wilson, that the pillow and carriage cover were made. In the 1900 census, Mary Dickson Watson, was living with them in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The recipient of the silk carriage and pillow cover later married Joseph Phipps. The items remained in the family until they were donated to the Collection in 1989.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1900
maker
Watson, Mary Way Dickson
ID Number
1989.0268.03
catalog number
1989.0268.03
accession number
1989.0268

Lake Shore and Southern Railway Coverlet, after 1868

This Jacquard, red, white, blue, and green double-cloth lap coverlet features a scalloped centerfield. “L. S. R. R. SLEEPING CAR” is woven into the innermost border.
Description
This Jacquard, red, white, blue, and green double-cloth lap coverlet features a scalloped centerfield. “L. S. R. R. SLEEPING CAR” is woven into the innermost border. There is a large middle border made up of what appears to be a representation of the Michigan State Capitol building flanked by pairs of turkeys. The corners each feature a pair of deer—a buck and doe. The shorter ends of the middle border feature acorns and oak leaves and interconnected birds. The interconnected birds suggest an altered Jacquard punch-card set. There is fringe along the bottom edge. "L.S.R.R." stands for the Lakeshore and Southern Railway. The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, founded in 1833, developed into a conglomeration of other railroads in the Northern Ohio, Michigan region. The Cleveland, Painesville and Ashtabula Railroad (CP&ARR) would eventually be incorporated into that system. In 1868, the railroad leased the Cleveland and Toledo Railroad and renamed itself Lakeshore and Southern Railway. It is this time period in which this coverlet was woven for use in the sleeping cars of the railway’s passenger cars.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1860s-1870s
date made
after 1868
ID Number
TE.T12744
catalog number
T12744.000
accession number
240289

1835 - 1845 Quaker Trousseau Pieced Quilt

An intriguing note came with this framed medallion quilt when it was donated: “The Quaker Quilt. Phil.
Description
An intriguing note came with this framed medallion quilt when it was donated: “The Quaker Quilt. Phil. ca 1840 made for wedding of bride of early Philadelphia Quaker Abolitionist of pieces from the gowns of her trousseau.” Unfortunately there is no indication of the quilt maker or ownership.
The focus of the 41-inch central square, “Star of Bethlehem,” is set off by a 5-inch octagonal border. Additional pieced and plain borders frame this variation of a medallion-style quilt. The beige, tan, brown, rust, and light grey silks and satins utilized for the pattern would be typical of the Quaker esthetic and period. The quilt is lined with roller printed cottons and filled with wool. It is quilted with a variety of geometric patterns (grid, diagonal, chevron, and parallel lines), feathered and flowering vines in the borders, and a spray of flowers in the corner squares. This quilt is a precisely designed example of Quaker quilts in the mid-19th century.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1835-1845
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.E388880
accession number
182022
catalog number
E388880

1949 Emma Mundorff's "Flower Garden" Quilt

Over 5,000 hexagonally shaped patches of plain and printed cottons were used to create the quilt. It is outline-quilted at 10 stitches per inch. It was quilted on a frame made by Emma’s grandfather in 1833.
Description
Over 5,000 hexagonally shaped patches of plain and printed cottons were used to create the quilt. It is outline-quilted at 10 stitches per inch. It was quilted on a frame made by Emma’s grandfather in 1833. The frame was used in the family until it was donated with the quilt in 1988.
Emma Mundorff’s grandfather, Philip Snyder, was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1801. He and his wife, Maria, immigrated to the U.S. in 1832 and settled near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Granddaughter Emma Culp was born in 1869. Her family farm, “Culp’s Hill,” is part of Gettysburg Battlefield history. She married Jacob Mundorff (1863-1915) in 1886.
Emma made quilts for herself, her four children, and eight grandchildren. Her masterpiece, “Flower Garden,” was made in 1949 when she was 80 years old.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1949
maker
Mundorff, Emma Culp
ID Number
1988.0123.01
catalog number
1988.0123.01
accession number
1988.0123

Metal sewing clamp in the shape of a lizard

A metal sewing clamp with a lizard (or alligator?) shaped fabric clamp above the screw clamp that secures the device to the table; squeeze its tail and the mouth opens to hold the fabric taut.
Description
A metal sewing clamp with a lizard (or alligator?) shaped fabric clamp above the screw clamp that secures the device to the table; squeeze its tail and the mouth opens to hold the fabric taut. Above the lizard is a brass box with a drawer for pins, needles, and thread spools, with a brown velvet pin cushion in the top. The box is 2 1/4 x 1 1/2 with drawer. Sewing clamps came in many forms, most commonly birds and butterflies, and acted as a third hand when hand-stitching seams.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
ID Number
TE.T12557
catalog number
T12557.000
accession number
235682

Battenburg Lace Collar

A battenburg lace collar made about 1899 by Mrs. McChesney and worn by Mrs. Lillian M. Keneaster (Oct 1866 – July 23, 1913). Battenburg lace is a tape lace. Loops of even-width, woven tape are formed and basted to a pattern.
Description
A battenburg lace collar made about 1899 by Mrs. McChesney and worn by Mrs. Lillian M. Keneaster (Oct 1866 – July 23, 1913). Battenburg lace is a tape lace. Loops of even-width, woven tape are formed and basted to a pattern. Secondly, wherever the tape crosses itself, tiny stitches are made to hold it together. Lastly, decorative filling stitches are used in the open spaces created by the tape. It has been stated that Battenburg lace was first created when Queen Victoria of England named her son-in-law as the first Duke of Battenburg in the late 1800s.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1899
ID Number
TE.E339748
catalog number
E339748.000
accession number
99597

Cheney Brothers Printed Silk Satin, 1913

Length of Cheney Brothers printed silk satin fabric.
Description (Brief)
Length of Cheney Brothers printed silk satin fabric. Japanese-inspired pattern of cherry blossom sprays in white, gray and pink on a lavender-pink ground with a variety of interspersed cartouche shapes, framing natural scenes of ducks, nesting bird with peonies, boat, and a lake/harbor scene with mountains in the distance. (W. 30 in., L. 36 in.)
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1913
maker
Cheney Brothers
ID Number
TE.T00061
catalog number
T00061.000
accession number
55080

Summer-and-Winter coverlet; c. 1790-1820; Connecticut

This blue and white, cotton and wool geometric coverlet is an excellent example of the structure known as Summer-and-Winter. There is a lot of apocryphal and mythological information circulating about the origins of this structure.
Description
This blue and white, cotton and wool geometric coverlet is an excellent example of the structure known as Summer-and-Winter. There is a lot of apocryphal and mythological information circulating about the origins of this structure. Is it an American invention or a European holdover? It is quite likely we will never know. Summer-and-Winter weave is an overshot weave with stricter rules. The supplementary warp yarn cannot float over more than two warp yarns. This creates a tighter fabric and also gives Summer-and-Winter its light (Summer) side and its darker (Winter) side. The weaver used a pattern most commonly known as "Cup and Saucer" with no border. A woven fringe has been pieced and applied around three edges of the coverlet. The coverlet is constructed from two panels which were woven as one length, cut, and sewn together to create the finished width. Each section is 39.5 inches wide, and the coverlet measures 85 inches by 79 inches. This coverlet descended through the donor’s family and was made in Connecticut between 1790 and 1820.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
early 19th century
c. 1790-1820
ID Number
TE.T16372
catalog number
T16372.000
accession number
300918

Cheney Brothers Printed "Showerproof Foulard", 1913

Length of Cheney Brothers Showerproof Foulard. Silk. Lightweight 2-up, 2-down twill weave. Design of small pairs of double-ended fleur de lis in white on blue ground. Printed. (W. 23 in., L. 36 in.)Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Length of Cheney Brothers Showerproof Foulard. Silk. Lightweight 2-up, 2-down twill weave. Design of small pairs of double-ended fleur de lis in white on blue ground. Printed. (W. 23 in., L. 36 in.)
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1913
maker
Cheney Brothers
ID Number
TE.T00054
catalog number
T00054.000
accession number
55080

Figured and Fancy coverlet; double-cloth; 1844; New York

This unsigned, blue & white, Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet has no fringe. There is a large stylized ovular central medallion made up of flowering baskets and scrolling foliage. Beyond this are scattered flowers.
Description
This unsigned, blue & white, Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet has no fringe. There is a large stylized ovular central medallion made up of flowering baskets and scrolling foliage. Beyond this are scattered flowers. There is a double border around four sides of the coverlet. The innermost border is composed of similar flowering baskets and foliate scrollwork. The outermost border contains the date, “1844” and is made up of stylized floral designs and peacock feather eyes. The designs are similar to those used by New York weaver, Ira Hadsell. However, Hadsell usually signed his work. According to the donor, this coverlet was made for her great-grandmother near Syracuse, New York.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1844
ID Number
TE.T6714
catalog number
T06714.000
accession number
111910

"Braddock's defeat" overshot coverlet; c. 1843; New York

"Braddock's defeat" pattern variation; coverlet; overshot weave; c. 1840; possibly New York or New Jersey.
Description
"Braddock's defeat" pattern variation; coverlet; overshot weave; c. 1840; possibly New York or New Jersey. Overshot' multi-harness coverlet in natural, tight-spun, 2-ply, s-twist, z-spun cotton warp and weft and loosely spun, 2-ply, s-twist, z-spun indigo-dyed blue and madder-dyed rust wool supplementary weft floats. The ground fabric is plain weave. The pattern consists of borders and a series of blocks and tables in various configurations occurring in a regular repetitive fashion, and this pattern is known as "Braddock's defeat". The coverlet was woven in one long piece, cut,, folded back on itself, and stitched up the middle. Excellent attention has been paid to make sure the patterns of both widths match perfectly when joined at the center seam. Matched seams are a trademark of Northern overshot coverlets. A machine woven binding has been attached by machine on all four sides.The pattern repeat is 13", and the thread count is 32 ends x 13 picks/inch. The center seam appears to be original with the same cotton warp/weft yarns being used to seam the two halves together. There has been some repair to the center of the seam in black thread, and the zig-zag stictch and presence of two distinct threads indicates this repair was done with a sewing machine. There are also some small holes which have been repaired with a pink, madder-dyed, homespun, single-ply yarn.
Mrs. Carolyn Kait's maternal grandfather, John S. Mickle, a farmer who settled in Point Pleasant, NJ, listed a coverlet, likely this one, in his will. It was likely part of the wedding trusseau from his parent's marriage in 1843. Mr. Mickle's father John J, Mickel was born in New York in 1822 and served as a private in the Civil War with a New York unit only later moving to New Jersey with his wife and family. The coverlet is almost certainly made in New York state, and more research is needed to determine a county and possible weaver.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
ca. 1840
date made
ca. 1843
maker
unknown
ID Number
1986.0162.01
catalog number
1986.0162.01
accession number
1986.0162

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