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.

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

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

Sample of European-made white cotton cloth; step one in the Javanese batik process, 1915

Plain weave white cotton cloth sample; step one in the Javanese batik process, 1915. This cloth is industrially produced and imported from Europe to Java, where it is used as the basis for the production of batiks. Approximately 10" x 12".
Description
Plain weave white cotton cloth sample; step one in the Javanese batik process, 1915. This cloth is industrially produced and imported from Europe to Java, where it is used as the basis for the production of batiks. Approximately 10" x 12". First in a set of 14 process samples together with 22 finished items made by prisoners in Java for display at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. Purchased by the US National Museum for the Division of Textiles from the Netherlands East Indies Commission at the close of the Exposition.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1914-1915
ID Number
TE.T02906.000
catalog number
T02906.00A
T02906.00B
accession number
59191

Sample of waxed cotton cloth scraped for red dye bath; step ten in the Javanese batik process, 1915

Sample of waxed cotton cloth scraped for red dye bath; step ten in the Javanese batik process, 1915.
Description
Sample of waxed cotton cloth scraped for red dye bath; step ten in the Javanese batik process, 1915. Approximately 10" x 12"; Design has a central butterfly motif surrounded by scrolling ferns and curlicues; with four outer borders.This sample has had the wax scraped from the parts to be dyed red, in preparation for the next dye bath. Step ten in a set of 14 process samples together with 22 finished items, made by prisoners in Java for display at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. Purchased by the US National Museum for the Division of Textiles from the Netherlands East Indies Commission at the close of the Exposition.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1914-1915
ID Number
TE.T02915.000
catalog number
T02915.000
accession number
59191

Overshot Coverlet; Maryland; ca. 1850

This is an overshot coverlet from mid nineteenth century, which features a patch pattern in the center. There are borders on three sides of the coverlet, formed by a fractional reduction of the central patch design.
Description
This is an overshot coverlet from mid nineteenth century, which features a patch pattern in the center. There are borders on three sides of the coverlet, formed by a fractional reduction of the central patch design. The wool yarns appear to be hand spun and dyed using plant-based dyes. The weaver used yellow along with dark and light brown yarns along with a coral colored yarn. The coral yarn may have been a different color when the coverlet was new and faded over time due to use, light, and age. There is a seam down the middle sewn with cotton thread. This coverlet was made in Maryland, possibly Street, Maryland and was woven by an unknown family member for the donor's grandfather, Samuel Sedgwick Scarborough (March 22, 1836-March 4, 1903). The coverlet passed to his son, the donor’s father. The Scarborough family came to Pennsylvania with William Penn and fought in the Revolutionary War. This coverlet is believed to have been woven by a member of the family as a loom was also passed down through the generations. The donor recalled her aunt making rugs on the old loom, which has since disappeared. The coverlet is in excellent condition and measures 94 inches by 80.5 inches. Overshot; Unusual colors, gold, brown, orange (may have been red).
Location
Currently not on view
date made
19th century
c. 1840-1850
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T15800
catalog number
T15800.000
accession number
297386

Police SWAT Vest

Law enforcement personnel joined with many other groups to save lives in the wake of Katrina's passage through the Gulf Coast in August 2005.
Description
Law enforcement personnel joined with many other groups to save lives in the wake of Katrina's passage through the Gulf Coast in August 2005. Skills used to apprehend criminals were supplemented by heroic attempts to rescue victims caught up in the swirling waters of the hurricane.
On the night of the hurricane Officer David Waite of the New Orleans Police Department was wearing this bullet-proof vest when he jumped into deep water in a city housing project to save a five-day-old girl. That girl and her family were escaping their housing in an overloaded boat that had just capsized. A nearby police boat witnessed the scene. The girl's mother attempted to lift the baby out of the water, but the infant seat in which she was strapped was too heavy and sank. Waite swam down to it and pulled the seat and baby into his craft. Another officer, Lejon Roberts, administered CPR to the infant as their boat sped to a nearby hospital. The child and her family survived.
Location
Currently not on view
Associated Date
August - September 2005
user
Waite, David J.
referenced
Roberts, LeJon
New Orleans Police Department
ID Number
2006.0066.01
catalog number
2006.0066.01
accession number
2006.0066

Ardoye Orphanage Tablecover

This round linen table cover contains the inscription “1915 ARDOYE - KLOOSTER DER H. KINDERSHEID VAN JESUS – WEESKINDEREN” (1915 Ardoye - Convent of the Holy Childhood of Jesus - Orphans) in the center.
Description
This round linen table cover contains the inscription “1915 ARDOYE - KLOOSTER DER H. KINDERSHEID VAN JESUS – WEESKINDEREN” (1915 Ardoye - Convent of the Holy Childhood of Jesus - Orphans) in the center. Ardoye (Ardooie) is in West Flanders, Belgium, in the area where the German army used poison gas for the first time on the western front in the second battle of Ypres in 1915.
The table cover is centered with bobbin lace. Bruges flower lace as well as tape lace and braided mesh techniques were utilized by the Belgian lace makers, who made this during World War I.
Location
Currently not on view
made during
1915-1918
part of design
1915
facilitator
Hoover, Herbert
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.E383962
catalog number
E383962
accession number
172208

Chalice Cover in Darned Net

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
TE.E179006
catalog number
E179006.000
accession number
25819

Funda de Almohada

Lace-making and sewing were more than utilitarian projects. They allowed young girls to express themselves artistically while learning discipline and attention to detail. This embroidered linen and lace pillow sham belonged to Miguel Roses at the turn of the 20th century.
Description
Lace-making and sewing were more than utilitarian projects. They allowed young girls to express themselves artistically while learning discipline and attention to detail. This embroidered linen and lace pillow sham belonged to Miguel Roses at the turn of the 20th century. Bird and flower designs surround the monogram in the center.
Description (Spanish)
El tejido de encaje no se consideraba únicamente como proyecto utilitario, sino también como una actividad mediante la cual las niñas podían expresarse artísticamente, a la vez que aprendían disciplina y atención al detalle. Esta ropa blanca bordada junto a la funda de almohada hecha en encaje pertenecieron a Miguel Roses a comienzos del siglo XX. Se observa el diseño de un pájaro y una flor rodeando el monograma central.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
20th century
user
Rosas, Miguel
ID Number
1997.0097.0158
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0158

American Eagle and Belgian Lion Table Scarf

Both ends of this table scarf are decorated with the seals of the United States and Belgium.
Description
Both ends of this table scarf are decorated with the seals of the United States and Belgium. A cornucopia spilling from the US shield to the Belgian shield symbolizes generosity from the American people toward the Belgian people.
The table scarf, with delicate handmade floral designs of Point de Gaze needle lace and mixed Brussels bobbin and needle lace, is appliquéd to machine made net. Belgian lace makers made this during World War I.
Location
Currently not on view
made during
1914-1919
facilitator
Hoover, Herbert
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.E383968
catalog number
E383968
accession number
172208

1860 - 1865 Matilda Whisler's "Whig Rose" Appliqued Quilt

Matilda Whisler appliquéd this variation of the “Whig Rose” pattern in the mid-19th century. She accentuated the pattern with outline quilting on all of the appliquéd motifs.
Description
Matilda Whisler appliquéd this variation of the “Whig Rose” pattern in the mid-19th century. She accentuated the pattern with outline quilting on all of the appliquéd motifs. Quilted feathered plumes (“Princess Feather”), diagonal lines ¼-inch apart, and clamshells on the outer edges further enhance the design. Finely quilted at 7-10 stitches per inch, hers is a typical example of the red and green quilts popular in that period.
Matilda Kramer was born in Frederick County, Va., on 18 March 1817. She married Henry Whisler, a native of Rockingham County, Va., in 1818. According to census information, they lived in Rockingham County and had three daughters and a son. Henry was a shoemaker. His son, Cambias (1846-1909) followed his father in the shoemaking trade. Henry died in 1885, and Matilda on 15 September 1898. Both are buried in Trissell’s Mennonite Church Cemetery in Rockingham County.
In 1942, the donor, one of Matilda’s daughters, wrote: “In 1861 my mother made a very beautiful quilt which is still in excellent condition. . . . I shall be glad to donate it.” Matilda’s carefully crafted quilt in the “Whig Rose” pattern was considered a “desirable specimen” by the Museum.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1860-1865
maker
Whisler, Matilda Kramer
ID Number
TE.T08613
accession number
162596
catalog number
T08613

Auburn State Prison jacquard-woven double-cloth coverlet; 1838; New York

Imprisoned weavers at Auburn State Prison loom house wove this Jacquard, double-cloth coverlet with an ornate carpet medallion centerfield and floral borders in Auburn, Cayuga County, New York in 1838.
Description
Imprisoned weavers at Auburn State Prison loom house wove this Jacquard, double-cloth coverlet with an ornate carpet medallion centerfield and floral borders in Auburn, Cayuga County, New York in 1838. The coverlet also features the dated floral cornerblocks associated with the prison’s other attributed coverlets. Being double-cloth, the coverlet is composed of two sets of warp and weft. The red and blue wool yarns are S-spun singles and the natural cotton yarns are 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun. The coverlet measures eighty-eight by sixty-four inches and features a center seam.
Not much work has been done on prison weaving in the 19th century. Ralph S. Herre wrote a dissertation while at Penn State University entitled, "The History of Auburn Prison from the Beginning to about 1867." He confirmed that the prison did have a carpet weaving shop, sold to local customers, and even attempted to cultivate and manufacture silks. In American Coverlets and Their Weavers (2002), Clarita Anderson included an entry for a coverlet which had a family history of being from Auburn State Prison and dated 1835. Anderson pointed out that of the four confirmed Auburn State coverlets she had encountered most are Biederwand structure, not double weave. She attributed the coverlets to New York weaver, James Van Ness (1811-1872).
The two Auburn State Prison coverlets in the NMAH collection have a similar corner block organization but different motifs, suggesting the possibility that the individual(s) designing the point papers and cutting the cards for these coverlets were the same person, maybe even Van Ness. More research is needed to confirm Anderson's attribution. It could be, and likely was the case, that the prisoners were trained in coverlet and ingrain carpet weaving by a master weaver, perhaps even Van Ness. At the very least, ornate Fancy weave jacquard card sets were purchased by the prison with the express purpose of producing fancy weave coverlets for general consumption. Prisoners at Auburn State were organized in what became known as the Auburn- or Congregate-Style. Prisoners spent most of their time in isolation in their cells. They were released for work hours, six days a week. They walked silently to work, worked in silence, and lived in silence. This coverlet is a fascinating material glimpse into the culture and economics of prisons in the 19th century.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1838
ID Number
TE.T15044
catalog number
T15044.000
accession number
287586

Javanese batik table cover for the Western market, 1915

Javanese batik table cover for the Western market, 1915. Original cataloging identifies the pattern as "Pisang bali", in brown and blue on a white ground, and the price as 11 F. or $4.40. Design is quite open, symmetrical around the four quarters of the square cloth.
Description
Javanese batik table cover for the Western market, 1915. Original cataloging identifies the pattern as "Pisang bali", in brown and blue on a white ground, and the price as 11 F. or $4.40. Design is quite open, symmetrical around the four quarters of the square cloth. Large central lobed medallion with arc and floral motifs. One of 22 finished batik textiles, together with 14 process samples, made by prisoners in Java for exhibition at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. Purchased by the US National Museum for the Division of Textiles from the Netherlands East Indies Commission at the close of the Exposition.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1914-1915
ID Number
TE.T02929.000
catalog number
T02929.000
accession number
59191

M. Mary Cook's Sampler

Three block alphabets of 26 letters. Numbers to 9. Word "Marcellus" appears at end of one alphabet. Sampler worked in black silk with brown cotton used only for small period at ends of rows.
Description
Three block alphabets of 26 letters. Numbers to 9. Word "Marcellus" appears at end of one alphabet. Sampler worked in black silk with brown cotton used only for small period at ends of rows. Border of single row of long-armed cross at top, single row of herringbone on each side, single row of double cross at bottom. Silk thread on cotton ground. STITCHES: cross, long-armed cross, herringbone, eyelet, four-sided, crosslet, double cross. THREAD COUNT: warp 26, weft 26/in.
Inscriptions:
"With ink and pen.
These marks will give.
The lives of men.
To all that live.
Worked by M Cook.
August 1818."
Background:
Mary was born on February 22, 1806, to Daniel and Rebecca Pomeroy Cook in Skaneateles, New York. Daniel served in the Revolutionary War for three months at Saratoga in 1781, and died on August 3, 1806, in Marcellus, New York. Mary stitched her sampler while her family was living in Marcellus. She did not marry, and died on January 30, 1869. She is buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, New York. The sampler descended in the family of her brother, Ira.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1818
maker
Cook, Mary
ID Number
TE.T13201
catalog number
T13201
accession number
250307

Javanese batik tea cosy for the western market, 1915.

Javanese batik tea cosy for the western market, 1915. A cotton rectangle with two mirror image trapezoidal panels, long edges toward the center. Meant to be cut out and stitched with a lining into a western style tea cosy. Design of scrolls and plant forms.
Description
Javanese batik tea cosy for the western market, 1915. A cotton rectangle with two mirror image trapezoidal panels, long edges toward the center. Meant to be cut out and stitched with a lining into a western style tea cosy. Design of scrolls and plant forms. Dark blue border, to be cut away in the making, surrounds the trapezoids. One of 22 finished batik textiles, together with 14 process samples, made by prisoners in Java for exhibition at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. Purchased by the US National Museum for the Division of Textiles from the Netherlands East Indies Commission at the close of the Exposition. An example of the use of traditional Javanese technique and patterning for a form meant for the European or Western trade.Approx. 14" x 19". Original cataloging identifies the design as "Pisang bali." in brown and indigo; Price listed as 4 F. or $1.60
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1914-1915
ID Number
TE.T02937.000
catalog number
T02937.000
accession number
59191

Collar with Peace Doves

This collar has motifs of peace doves and floral vases executed in mixed Brussels bobbin and needle lace techniques with ground and fillings in point de Gaze style needle lace. The scalloped edge has picots.
Description
This collar has motifs of peace doves and floral vases executed in mixed Brussels bobbin and needle lace techniques with ground and fillings in point de Gaze style needle lace. The scalloped edge has picots. Identified by the donor as lace made by Belgian lace makers during World War I
Location
Currently not on view
made during
1914-1918
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T14223
catalog number
T14223
accession number
273245

handkerchief, lace, embroidered

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
TE.T16035
catalog number
T16035.000
accession number
297965

Stern and Pohly "Roman Plisse Epingle" apparel silk; 1914.

Stern and Pohly "Roman Plisse Epingle" silk fabric length; 1914. Trimming silk. Warp-faced rib weave with a crepe-like finish, with silk warp, silk and irregular flake cotton filling (weft). Woven on Knowles box loom. Adaptable for vestings, sashes and coat and jacket trimmings.
Description
Stern and Pohly "Roman Plisse Epingle" silk fabric length; 1914. Trimming silk. Warp-faced rib weave with a crepe-like finish, with silk warp, silk and irregular flake cotton filling (weft). Woven on Knowles box loom. Adaptable for vestings, sashes and coat and jacket trimmings. Narrow stripes in several colors between wider blue and red stripes.
Harry Stern and Joseph Pohly began business in the Cooke Mill in Paterson, NJ in 1897. They erected the Highland Mill, also in Paterson, in 1902, manufacturing novelty silks. In 1914, the company moved their sales offices to Fourth Street in the Garment District, in response to the change in the customer base from the retail market to the wholesale market, with the growth of ready-to-wear clothing for women. The company was sold in 1916 to the Durable Silk Corporation.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1914
ID Number
TE.T01835.000
catalog number
T01835.000
accession number
57064

Border Fragment in Reticella and Punto in Aria

Border fragment made in reticella and punto in aria style needle lace with geometric designs, with straight upper edge and scalloped lower edge. The knotted buttonhole stitches indicate possible Greek origin.
Description (Brief)
Border fragment made in reticella and punto in aria style needle lace with geometric designs, with straight upper edge and scalloped lower edge. The knotted buttonhole stitches indicate possible Greek origin. It is made with coarse ecru linen thread and has been repaired.
Location
Currently not on view
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.L6864
accession number
50762
catalog number
L6864

Monogrammed Tablecloth

The center of this fine linen tablecloth is decorated with three small monograms "EW" and scroll designs. EW most likely stands for Ella Whitlock, the wife of the American Envoy to Belgium. Mrs.
Description
The center of this fine linen tablecloth is decorated with three small monograms "EW" and scroll designs. EW most likely stands for Ella Whitlock, the wife of the American Envoy to Belgium. Mrs. Brand Whitlock worked tirelessly on behalf of the Belgian lace makers during World War I.
The eight and one-half inch wide border on the tablecloth is executed in Point de Paris bobbin lace with symmetrical floral designs of roses and edelweiss, the favorite flowers of Queen Elisabeth of Belgium. Belgian lace makers made this tablecloth during World War I.
Location
Currently not on view
made during
1914-1919
described
Whitlock, Ella Brainerd
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.E383964
catalog number
E383964
accession number
172208

17th Century Linen Table Cover Decorated With Scrolls in Bobbin and Needle Lace

Possibly 17th century Reticella needle lace with bobbin lace borders at both ends. Scrolls in the same pattern are made in needle and bobbin lace. Needle lace in the center across the cloth, along the sides, and as fillers in bobbin lace borders.
Description (Brief)
Possibly 17th century Reticella needle lace with bobbin lace borders at both ends. Scrolls in the same pattern are made in needle and bobbin lace. Needle lace in the center across the cloth, along the sides, and as fillers in bobbin lace borders. It is a sample of imitation in bobbin lace of the more time consuming needle lace insertions.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
17th C.
ID Number
TE.L7603
catalog number
L7603.000

Sample of fifth wax drawing (background) on cotton cloth; step seven in the Javanese batik process, 1915

Sample of fifth wax drawing (background) on cotton cloth; step seven in the Javanese batik process, 1915.
Description
Sample of fifth wax drawing (background) on cotton cloth; step seven in the Javanese batik process, 1915. Approximately 10" x 12"; Design has a central butterfly motif surrounded by scrolling ferns and curlicues; with four outer borders.This sample has had the background filled in with wax on the face. Step seven in a set of 14 process samples together with 22 finished items, made by prisoners in Java for display at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. Purchased by the US National Museum for the Division of Textiles from the Netherlands East Indies Commission at the close of the Exposition.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1914-1915
ID Number
TE.T02912.000
catalog number
T02912.000
accession number
59191

Auburn State Prison, coverlet; Jacquard, double-cloth; 1842; New York

This blue and white, Jacquard, double-woven coverlet is made of cotton and wool. It features the “Bird of Paradise” pattern with floral and geometric borders on all four sides. It is woven in two sections, each thirty-nine inches wide. The sections were sewn together by hand.
Description
This blue and white, Jacquard, double-woven coverlet is made of cotton and wool. It features the “Bird of Paradise” pattern with floral and geometric borders on all four sides. It is woven in two sections, each thirty-nine inches wide. The sections were sewn together by hand. The date “AD 1842” is woven into all four corners with a stylized floral or carpet design cornerblock now known to be associated with the Auburn Prison Loom House and coverlet weaver, James Van Ness. The original owner was the donor’s father. He lived in Ontario County, New York. Coverlets could be commissioned by a man or a woman for use in the home. Being double-cloth, the coverlet was woven using two sets of warp and weft yarns. The blue yarn is indigo-dyed 2-ply S-twist, Z-Spun wool and the white yarns are 3-ply, S-twist, Z-spun cotton. The coverlet is made of two panels which were originally woven as one length.
Not much work has been done on prison weaving in the 19th century. Ralph S. Herre wrote a dissertation while at Penn State University entitled, "The History of Auburn Prison from the Beginning to about 1867." He confirmed that the prison did have a carpet weaving shop, sold to local customers, and even attempted to cultivate and manufacture silks. In American Coverlets and Their Weavers (2002), Clarita Anderson included an entry for a coverlet which had a family history of being from Auburn State Prison and dated 1835. Anderson pointed out that of the four confirmed Auburn State coverlets she had encountered most are Biederwand structure, not double weave. She attributed the coverlets to New York weaver, James Van Ness (1811-1872).
The two Auburn State Prison coverlets in the NMAH collection have a similar corner block organization but different motifs, suggesting the possibility that the individual(s) designing the point papers and cutting the cards for these coverlets were the same person, maybe even Van Ness. More research is needed to confirm Anderson's attribution. It could be, and likely was the case, that the prisoners were trained in coverlet and ingrain carpet weaving by a master weaver, perhaps even Van Ness. At the very least, ornate Fancy weave jacquard card sets were purchased by the prison with the express purpose of producing fancy weave coverlets for general consumption. Prisoners at Auburn State were organized in what became known as the Auburn- or Congregate-Style. Prisoners spent most of their time in isolation in their cells. They were released for work hours, six days a week. They walked silently to work, worked in silence, and lived in silence. This coverlet is a fascinating material glimpse into the culture and economics of prisons in the 19th century.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1842
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T16877
catalog number
T16877
accession number
307177

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