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: Ohio

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

Jacquard double-cloth coverlet; c. 1830-1850; Ohio

This blue and white, Jacquard double-cloth, coverlet was passed down through the Robbins family of Ohio. According to family history, the Robbins migrated from New York to Ohio in 1818.
Description
This blue and white, Jacquard double-cloth, coverlet was passed down through the Robbins family of Ohio. According to family history, the Robbins migrated from New York to Ohio in 1818. The patterns used on this coverlet suggest a date after 1818, meaning that this coverlet was most likely woven in Ohio between the years, 1830-1850. More research into the Robbins family genealogy and comparative analysis with other extant Ohio blue and white double-cloth coverlets should provide more information about the weaver and which county in Ohio this coverlet was woven.
Being double-cloth, there are two sets of warp and weft that make up this coverlet. The white yarns are 3-ply, S-twist, Z-spun cotton and the blue yarns are all 3-ply, S-twist, Z-spun wool. The centerfield pattern consists of floral and foliate motifs symmetrically arranged and symmetrically interspersed with birds. The border consists of groups of flowers resembling dogwood flowers and morning glories. There is fringe on 3 sides of the coverlet, and the top edge binding is worm off. The upper edge of the coverlet is badly worn. The top lay count of the coverlet is 18x18 threads per inch.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1800-1850
date made
1830-1850
1830-1850
ID Number
TE.T13746
catalog number
T.13746
accession number
262263

L. Hesse; Figured and Fancy coverlet; tied-Beiderwand; 1840; Ohio

L. Hesse wove this Figured and Fancy, red, white and green, tied-Beiderwand coverlet in 1840.
Description
L. Hesse wove this Figured and Fancy, red, white and green, tied-Beiderwand coverlet in 1840. There is no location or customer indicated in the cornerblock, but we know from other extant coverlets that Hesse and his brothers, both named Frederick were active in Somerset Township, Perry County and Hocking Counties in Ohio. The centerfield pattern features the common “Double Rose and Starburst” motif which is accented by smaller geometric crosses and fylfots (swastikas). There is a double border featuring addorsed “Eagles and Fruit Tree” and eight-pointed stars along the sides and bottom of the coverlet. There is self-fringe along the sides. The coverlet was woven on a hand loom with a patterning device attachment (either barrel loom or Jacquard mechanism) made in two pieces seamed together up the center. The Hesse brothers were active in Somerset, Hocking, and Perry Counties, Ohio. Frederick A. (b. 1801), Frederick E. (b. 1827), and L. Hesse (b. 1809) were Saxon immigrants from what was then the Kingdom of Prussia. They settled in Ohio, each opening their own weaving business. The brothers have extant coverlets dating from the years, 1838-1862 collectively. This coverlet belonged to the great-grandmother of the donor. Although we do not know her name, the accession file tells us she was born around 1830 and from Ohio, helping to further situate this coverlet in the proper context.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840
weaver
Hesse, L.
ID Number
TE.T14540
catalog number
T14540.000
accession number
277122

Philip H. Anshutz; coverlet; Figured and Fancy, double cloth; c. 1845; Ohio

Philip H. Anshutz (b. 1802) wove this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet in Carrollton, Carroll County, Ohio sometime after 1845.
Description
Philip H. Anshutz (b. 1802) wove this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet in Carrollton, Carroll County, Ohio sometime after 1845. This coverlet measures 81 inches by 75 inches and was woven as one length, cut into two pieces, and hand sewn together to create the width. There is a self-fringe along three sides of the coverlet. The pattern consists of eight whole, large floral wreaths, with eight half wreaths along the sides. Filling in the spaces between wreaths are two floral groups. The elaborate centerfield pattern suggests that Anshutz was very skilled at pattern design and likely producing coverlets in a semi-industrial fashion. The corners of the lower edge have woven inscriptions which read, "xPxH ANHUTZ YN Carrol-ton.” The white yarns are 2-ply s-twist z-spun cotton, and the blue yarns are 2-ply s-twist z-spun wool. The binding is white 2-ply s-twist z-spun wool. The sewing thread 6-ply s-twist z-spun cotton. The yarn count is 22 warp x 20 weft per inch. The top edge is bound in a bias binding and stitched by hand. Philip Anshutz was born in 1802 in Germany and emigrated to Baltimore about 1833. In the 1840 census he was listed as the head of a household in Baltimore engaged in manufactures and trades—likely in one of Baltimore’s large industrial textile mills. He left Baltimore in 1842 with his wife, whose name we only know as the initial W., and moved to Carrollton, Carroll, Co, Ohio. In the 1850 Federal Census, Anshutz was listed as a weaver. It is likely that Anshutz came to American as a trained, industrial weaver or machinist in a factory, worked in Baltimore long enough to raise the capital needed to move west and attempt to establish his own regional mill in Carroll County. This was a common practice for coverlet weavers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
mid-19th century
mid-19th century ?
c. 1845
weaver
Anshutz, Philip
ID Number
1989.0270.001
accession number
1989.0270
catalog number
1989.0270.01

1838 Faber's Patent Model of a Hand Card

Hand Card Patent ModelPatent No. 863, issued August 1, 1838George Faber of Canton, OhioFaber’s patent related to the construction of the common hand card used for carding cotton or wool prior to the spinning process.
Description
Hand Card Patent Model
Patent No. 863, issued August 1, 1838
George Faber of Canton, Ohio
Faber’s patent related to the construction of the common hand card used for carding cotton or wool prior to the spinning process. He specifically patented using wood veneer, instead of leather, for the foundation that contained the card’s wire teeth. The wood was cut from 1/8 to 3/16 of an inch in thickness, 4 inches in width, and 4 to 8 inches in length. The wood was then steeped in water to soften it so that when placed in a card-making machine, it could be pricked and the teeth inserted. The veneer was nailed to another piece of wood and a handle inserted to form the hand card.
Although Faber did not claim credit for inventing the card-making machine, in his patent specification he did mention that he had made improvements on it.
Location
Currently not on view
model constructed
before 1838-08-01
patent date
1838-08-01
inventor
Faber, George
ID Number
TE.T11396.030
catalog number
T11396.030
accession number
89797
patent number
863

1875 - 1888 Mary Ann Bishop's "Ocean Wave" Pieced Quilt

This “Ocean Wave” quilt was begun by Mary Ann Bishop of Wilkesville, Vinton County, Ohio, in 1875 and quilted in 1888. Roller-printed cottons with a few woven checks and plaids were pieced for the patterns that set off the quilted plain, cream-colored cotton centers.
Description
This “Ocean Wave” quilt was begun by Mary Ann Bishop of Wilkesville, Vinton County, Ohio, in 1875 and quilted in 1888. Roller-printed cottons with a few woven checks and plaids were pieced for the patterns that set off the quilted plain, cream-colored cotton centers. A saw-tooth strip of red cotton appliquéd to the 6-inch border frames the “Ocean Wave” pattern. Quilted, at 9 stitches per inch, with straight lines on the pieced sections, the feathered circles and feathered leaves provide a surface texture to the quilt. Two gradually curved S-shaped wooden templates, also donated to the Collection, were used for pencil marking the quilting pattern.
Mary Ann Gotschall was born July 7, 1819. She married Hiram H. Bishop (1818-1897) on January 31, 1842 in Harrison County, Ohio. He received his medical training at Starling Medical College in Columbus, Ohio in the late 1840s. Lyne Starling (1784-1848) was the founder of the hospital and medical school, a new concept at that time of providing medical education and patient care in one facility. During the Civil War, from June 1864 to March 1865, Hiram was contracted as an Acting Assistant Surgeon at the Totten General Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky. In March of 1865, when he left, the hospital had over 6,500 patients and fewer than 100 surgeons.
Mary and Hiram reared four children; John (b. 1843), Naomi (b. 1845), Mary (b. 1848), and Luie (b. 1860). Mary Ann died March 9, 1915, and is buried in the Wilkesville Cemetery. Mary Ann Bishop’s quilt in the “Ocean Wave” pattern is one of three quilts in the Collection that were donated by her granddaughter, Maude M. Fierce, in 1936 and 1937.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1875-1888
maker
Bishop, Mary Ann Gotschall
ID Number
TE.T07851
accession number
141189
catalog number
T07851

Abram Allen; coverlet; Jacquard, double-cloth;1838; Ohio

Abram Allen wove this Jacquard, double-cloth coverlet in Ohio in 1838. Measuring eighty-two inches by seventy-four inches, the coverlet features a stylized tulip, bell-flower, or pear centerfield with bird and tree borders.
Description
Abram Allen wove this Jacquard, double-cloth coverlet in Ohio in 1838. Measuring eighty-two inches by seventy-four inches, the coverlet features a stylized tulip, bell-flower, or pear centerfield with bird and tree borders. The side borders also feature a quadrupled sine curve border and the bottom border is made up of a six-fold sine curve. The word Ohio and the date 1838 are woven into two lower corners of the coverlet. Although unsigned, this coverlet can be attributed to Abram Allen and is similar to another coverlet in the NMAH collection (1980.0089.01). This double-cloth coverlet was woven from a combination of two sets of wool and cotton warps that exchange places revealing the pattern and lock the two separate plain weave structures together in a complementary weave structure. Abram Allen was born May 3, 1796, in Ireland. He married Kate Cata Howlan (1800-1866) June 25, 1818, and died June 7, 1867, in Clinton, OH. Coverlet scholar, John Heisey described him as the only man in the county with a flying shuttle, suggesting he owned a broad loom. This makes more sense when considering that the coverlet is one piece rather that center-seamed. Clarita Anderson noted that later in his life, Allen was listed in various census as both a wagon-maker and farmer, suggesting that weaving was only ever a part of his economic activity in Clinton County. Henry Ford Museum in Michigan and the Art Institute of Chicago both possess coverlets in the style of the one held by NMAH.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1838
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T10093
catalog number
T10093.000
accession number
134186

1986 "Garnette Hamilton - Queen of Hoboes" Quilt

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1986
ID Number
1987.0699.01
accession number
1987.0699
catalog number
1987.0699.01

1850 - 1875 Mary Ann Bishop's "Double Nine-patch" Pieced Quilt

Mary Ann Bishop of Wilkesville, Vinton County, Ohio, made this quilt in the mid-nineteenth century. She utilized plain-woven roller-printed cotton dress fabrics and woven striped, checked, and plaid cottons.
Description
Mary Ann Bishop of Wilkesville, Vinton County, Ohio, made this quilt in the mid-nineteenth century. She utilized plain-woven roller-printed cotton dress fabrics and woven striped, checked, and plaid cottons. Two of the blocks of the “Double Nine-patch” quilt were enlarged by adding strips of printed cotton along two edges. A combination of diagonal-line and feathered “S” curve patterns were used for the quilting. Two gradually curved S-shaped wooden templates, also donated to the Collection, were used for marking the quilting pattern.
Mary Ann Gotschall was born July 7, 1819. She married Hiram H. Bishop (1818-1897) on January 31, 1842 in Harrison County, Ohio. He received his medical training at Starling Medical College in Columbus, Ohio, in the late 1840s. Lyne Starling (1784-1848) was the founder of the hospital and medical school, a new concept at that time of providing medical education and patient care in one facility. During the Civil War, from June 1864 to March 1865, Hiram was contracted as an Acting Assistant Surgeon at the Totten General Hospital, Louisville, Kentucky. In March of 1865, when he left, the hospital had over 6,500 patients and fewer than 100 surgeons.
Mary and Hiram reared four children; John (b. 1843), Naomi (b. 1845), Mary (b. 1848), and Luie (b. 1860). Mary Ann died March 9, 1915, and is buried in the Wilkesville Cemetery. Mary Ann Bishop’s quilt in the “Double Nine-patch” pattern is one of three quilts in the Collection that were donated by her granddaughter, Maude M. Fierce, in 1936 and 1937.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
Bishop, Mary Ann Gotschall
ID Number
TE.T07850
accession number
141189
catalog number
T07850

1900 - 1950 Mennonite "Sawtoothed Bars" Quilt

Quilted in Ohio in the first half of the twentieth century, this is a Mennonite or possibly Amish version of the “Sawtoothed Bars” pattern. It is two-toned, made of plain-woven red and green cottons.
Description
Quilted in Ohio in the first half of the twentieth century, this is a Mennonite or possibly Amish version of the “Sawtoothed Bars” pattern. It is two-toned, made of plain-woven red and green cottons. Outline quilting was done on the sawtooth triangles, and all other areas were quilted in a diagonal grid with grey-green cotton thread.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1900-1950
quilter
unknown
ID Number
1985.0029.02
catalog number
1985.0029.02
accession number
1985.0029

"Capitol" coverlet fragment; Jacquard, double cloth; 1846; poss. Ohio

This Jacquard woven, double-cloth coverlet fragment uses blue, rust, and white, cotton and wool yarns and features centerfield pattern of the U.S. Capitol with inscribed date of 1846.
Description
This Jacquard woven, double-cloth coverlet fragment uses blue, rust, and white, cotton and wool yarns and features centerfield pattern of the U.S. Capitol with inscribed date of 1846. The white yarns are 2 ply, S-twist, Z-spun cotton, and the blue and rust yarns are 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun yarns. The sewing thread used in the hem is 2-ply cotton. The centerfield pattern repeat measures 29.5 inches 14.5 inches. It is repeated side to side twice. Along the lower border there is a pattern of stylized roses enclosing an eight pointed star and also a groupings of leaves. This floral border repeat measures 11.75 inches by 8. 75 inches. The border has three bands. Its place of manufacture is uncertain. There are other intact versions in other collections, but none are signed. Based on the design and color blocking, the coverlet was likely woven in Ohio.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1846
maker
unknown
ID Number
1987.0277.01
accession number
1987.0277
catalog number
1987.0277.01

1900 - 1925 Flossie B. Prices's "Log Cabin" Comforter

According to her niece, Mrs. Vane Hoge, this “Log Cabin” or “Barn Raising” comforter was made by her aunt, Flossie B. Price.
Description
According to her niece, Mrs. Vane Hoge, this “Log Cabin” or “Barn Raising” comforter was made by her aunt, Flossie B. Price. Flossie stitched it together from fabrics saved from the family’s clothing.
The eighty blocks, each 8½-inches square, have dark red centers and are hand-pieced, but machine-joined to one another. Flossie used plain-weave, twilled, pattern-weave, crepe, striped, and plaid wools. She also used plain-weave, plaid, pattern-weave, and printed cotton flannel. Checked wool/cottons and plain-color silk/cottons were also used to achieve the dramatic light and dark effect. A lining of printed wool and an interlining of wool and cotton fabric provided the comforter with additional warmth. Ties made of red, pink, and aquamarine wool yarn at the corners and center of each block accent the overall design.
Flossie B. Price lived from 1882 to 1960. Her home was in Marion, Ohio. Her early twentieth-century comforter is a dramatic variation of the “Log Cabin” pattern, utilizing a wide variety of fabrics.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1900-1925
maker
Price, Flossie
ID Number
TE.T15591
accession number
295255
catalog number
T15591

Abram Allen; coverlet; Figured and Fancy, double-cloth; 1838; Ohio

Abram Allen (b. 1796) wove this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double-cloth in Union Township, Clinton County, Ohio in 1838.
Description
Abram Allen (b. 1796) wove this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double-cloth in Union Township, Clinton County, Ohio in 1838. The centerfield design is based on earlier geometric double-weave coverlets, and this pattern is traditionally known as “Whig Rose.” The three-sided border depicts pairs of confronted birds perched on fruit tree limbs which are emerging from sine lines. The lower corners of the coverlet contain the woven inscription, “1838 Ohio.” Abraham Allen was born May 3, 1796, in Ireland. He married Kate Cata Howlan (1800-1866) on June 25, 1818. Allen died June 7, 1867, in Clinton County, Ohio. The 1850 Federal Census recorded Allen’s occupation as wagonmaker, and in 1860 he was recorded as a farmer. It is possible that Allen only wove in his earlier professional life. His extant coverlets range in date from 1833-1844. It is also possible that Allen is among the growing group of coverlet weavers who were not weavers at all, but rather immigrant entrepreneurs investing capital earned through other means into small regional and local industry. This coverlet features no center seam, suggesting it was woven on a broadloom, not the equipment used by small-time weavers. The coverlet measures 84 inches by 74 inches.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1838
ID Number
1980.0089.01
accession number
1980.0089
catalog number
1980.0089.01

Jacob Saylor; coverlet; Jacquard, tied-Beiderwand; 1853; Ohio

Jacob Saylor wove this Jacquard, double-cloth coverlet in North Liberty Township, Knox County, Ohio in 1853. It is possible to know this because of the woven inscription found in the coverlet’s two lower cornerblocks.
Description
Jacob Saylor wove this Jacquard, double-cloth coverlet in North Liberty Township, Knox County, Ohio in 1853. It is possible to know this because of the woven inscription found in the coverlet’s two lower cornerblocks. The corner block says, “Maide by/ Jacob.Sayl/or North Lib/erty Knox/ County Ohio 1853.” The side borders feature a “Double Rose and Carnation” pattern and lower border features stylized fruit tree and folk motifs. The centerfield is made up of lobed medallions in a carpet medallion arrangement. Inside the medallions can be found a variation of the “Double Rose” pattern accented with what appears to be stalks of wheat. Tied-Beiderwand is a complex weave structure where dedicated warp yarns tie together sections of the textile that would otherwise be double-cloth. The red, gold, and blue horizontal banding is suggestive or Saylor’s Pennsylvania origins and the wool yarn used is 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun. The cotton yarns used are all 3-ply, S-twist, Z-spun. The coverlet has a center seam and measures eighty-eighty by seventy-eight inches.
There are several Jacob Saylors (Saylers) in Ohio that appear on the 1850 and 1860 Federal Census. None of these Jacobs is recorded as being a weaver, which is very common, especially in the availability of affordable land in the Midwest. Weaving would have only be a portion of the family income. More research is needed to determine exactly which Jacob Saylor is the correct one. Clarita Anderson reports that he was active in Stark, Knox, and Pickaway counties. John Heisey used a history of Pickaway County to conclude that Saylor moved to Ohio from Somerset County, Pennsylvania during the War of 1812. So far, no definite match has been found. More research is needed to determine which Jacob Saylor wove this coverlet.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1853
maker
Saylor, Jacob
ID Number
TE.T13999
catalog number
T13999.000
accession number
269209

Rebecca Ballinger's Sampler

Two block upper-case alphabets, no "J," alternate colors. One block lower-case alphabet of alternate colors. Numbers 1 through 9. One crown. Satin-stitched sawtooth crossband; one crossband worked in Irish stitch, also basket and two large diamonds in lower half.
Description
Two block upper-case alphabets, no "J," alternate colors. One block lower-case alphabet of alternate colors. Numbers 1 through 9. One crown. Satin-stitched sawtooth crossband; one crossband worked in Irish stitch, also basket and two large diamonds in lower half. Two weeping willow trees, each with bird in its top, and three boxes, one containing verse and two containing maker's name and date and group of initials. Box on right side contains initials "WB," "CB," "JS," and "ES." Box on left side contains initials "WB," "LB," "WP," "EP," "NU," "CU," "WB," "EB," 'SB," "MB," "LP," and "LU" as well as "Rebecca Ballinger 1830." Strawberry border. Silk embroidery thread on linen ground. STITCHES: cross, Algerian eye, satin, rice, Irish, queen, crosslet, long-armed cross, gobelin. THREAD COUNT: warp 24, weft 34/in.
Inscription:
"In thy fair book of life divine
My, god, incribe [sic] my name
There, let it fill some humble place
Beneath the slaughter'd Lamb"
Background:
Rebecca was born on March 22, 1814, to William and Lydia Smith Ballinger in Pipe Creek, Maryland. The family moved to Ohio in 1819, and Rebecca stitched her sampler under the tutelage of Ann Thorn in Jefferson County. The initials on her sampler are of her grandparents, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law, and two nieces who died in infancy. The initials in black are family members who had died by the time she stitched her sampler. Rebecca married Thomas H. Terrell as his second wife on April 22, 1863.
Date made
1830
maker
Ballinger, Rebecca
ID Number
1989.0343.12
accession number
1989.0343
catalog number
1989.0343.12

1900 - 1925 Rev. Charles Stocking's Fund Raising Quilt

Members and friends of a Methodist Church, possibly in Elyria or Wooster, Ohio, each contributed twenty-five cents to have a name inscribed on this red and white, fund-raising quilt. It was later presented to the minister, Charles Hendrickson Stocking (1842-1926).
Description
Members and friends of a Methodist Church, possibly in Elyria or Wooster, Ohio, each contributed twenty-five cents to have a name inscribed on this red and white, fund-raising quilt. It was later presented to the minister, Charles Hendrickson Stocking (1842-1926). Charles Stocking served in the Civil War and was ordained a minister in 1869. For more than 50 years he served at various churches in the Midwest and was recognized as a successful fund raiser, having a talent for easing debts and constructing churches.
Fifty-four wheels-with-spokes or flowers-with-petals were each appliqued on 9 1/4-inch blocks. The names, all inscribed in ink by the same hand, appear on the centers and spokes or petals of the motifs and a few on the sashing between blocks. More than 1000 names appear on the quilt. All of the motifs are outlined in quilting. The blocks are framed by a 4-inch border. A matching pillow with one motif and inscriptions was included in the donation. This quilt is a fitting tribute to a minister who was known for his skills at fund raising.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1900-1925
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T13892.00A
accession number
260902
catalog number
T13892A

William Wolf; coverlet panel; Jacquard; tied-Beiderwand; 1853; Ohio

This Figured and Fancy, tied-Beiderwand coverlet panel reveals when, where, and who made it, but William Wolf has remained elusive to historians.
Description
This Figured and Fancy, tied-Beiderwand coverlet panel reveals when, where, and who made it, but William Wolf has remained elusive to historians. The centerfield features octagonal carpet medallions filled with stylized sunflowers or sunbursts around which can be found geometric stars arrangements and foliate garlands. The side border features a meandering grape vine and the lower border depicts a swag garland and flower motif. The cornerblock inscription reads, “WOVE*BY/*W*WOLF/*SHELBY*/RICHLAND/*COUNTY*/OHIO*1853.” There are dozens of people names William Wolf recorded in Ohio in the 1850 Federal Census, and more research is needed to determine which of those men was the weaver of this coverlet panel. What is known of Wolf comes from his extant coverlets which date from 1836-1858 and have woven inscriptions indicating that he was weaving in Hanover, Licking County, Ohio and later in Shelby, Richland County, Ohio. This coverlet panel was woven in tied-Beiderwand structure using 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun cotton and wool, warp and weft yarns and Z-spun cotton singles for binding warps.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1853
maker
Shelby, W. Wolf
ID Number
TE.T13141
catalog number
T13141.000
accession number
249565

Daniel Pursell (attrib.); coverlet; Figured and Fancy, double-cloth; c. 1840; Ohio

This Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet is undated, although the object file contains a newspaper clipping suggesting that it is dated 1840. There is also no corner block or trademark to help identify the weaver.
Description
This Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet is undated, although the object file contains a newspaper clipping suggesting that it is dated 1840. There is also no corner block or trademark to help identify the weaver. The centerfield is made up of a lattice-work of squares reminiscent of the “Single Chariot Wheel” pattern found in geometric double-cloth and overshot coverlets. Inside the lattice-work are alternating rows of sunbursts and stylized medallions. The side borders are double rows of grapes with leafy vines. The top has no border and the bottom border is just a thin zig-zag interspersed with dots. There is fringe on three sides. The double-cloth structure requires two sets of warps and wefts. Each set is made up of a 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun cotton yarn and a similarly spun wool yarn. The weaver has expertly arranged the red- and blue-colored wools in the warp and weft to create gridded pattern of color that is amplified by the double-cloth structure and the white cotton.
Although the coverlet is unsigned, it is still possible to attribute this piece to the workshop of a weaver in Portsmouth, Scioto County, Ohio, Daniel Purcell (1812-1880). Clarita Anderson and Robert Heisey both mention Purcell in their catalogs of known weavers. He only dated one coverlet that is known, but based on census records we can estimate that Daniel Purcell was weaving in Scioto County from approximately 1840 until his enlisted in the 1st Ohio Light Artillery Battery L in 1861 as a bugler. In the 1870 Federal Census, Daniel Purcell is listed as a paper-maker, having abandoned weaving after the Civil War. In the 1880 Federal Census, Purcell is listed as a drug store attendant in Logan, Hocking County, Ohio. He died shortly after. Purcell appears to have designed his own patterns. It is not clear what kind of loom he wove on or how his business was organized, but he clearly had an eye for design and color and ranks as one of Ohio’s most skilled coverlet weavers.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
mid 19th century
date made
c. 1840
maker
Pursell, Daniel
ID Number
TE.T12615
catalog number
T12615.000
accession number
234386

1865 - 1870 Lizzie Lisle's Floral Appliqued Quilt

Lizzie Lisle utilized a unique floral design for this quilt. The center panel consists of four 28½-inch square blocks each appliquéd with large red, green and yellow flowers, leaves, and berries. The large red flowers have reverse-appliquéd details made of printed yellow cotton.
Description
Lizzie Lisle utilized a unique floral design for this quilt. The center panel consists of four 28½-inch square blocks each appliquéd with large red, green and yellow flowers, leaves, and berries. The large red flowers have reverse-appliquéd details made of printed yellow cotton. Many of the leaves have cut-out details revealing the white ground beneath them. Green cotton gathered over a solid foundation and attached to the quilt gives a three-dimensional effect to the berries. The center is framed by a red saw-tooth band. The 12½-inch border is appliquéd on three sides with an undulating leaf-and-floral vine. A second saw-tooth band follows the outer edge of the quilt. Fine quilting, 12 to 13 stitches per inch, in a variety of patterns, covers both the background and the appliquéd motifs.
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Lisle, born in Ohio in 1836, was the daughter of John Lisle (1803-1890s) and Elizabeth Johnston (1811-1889). Members of the extended Lisle family were early settlers in Jefferson and Harrison Counties in Ohio, but many also moved westward and settled in Iowa. In Jasper County, Iowa, on February 11, 1886, Elizabeth married Eden Randall. Eden was born in Delaware County, Ohio, about 1840 and served in the Civil War (Co. G, 3rd Iowa Volunteer Infantry).
Mustered in June 8, 1861, Eden was taken prisoner on April 6, 1862, in Shiloh, Tennessee. In January 1863 he was part of a prisoner exchange and rejoined his company, only to be severely wounded in the face and mouth on June 12, 1863, at Vicksburg, Tennessee. He recovered in a hospital in Keokuk, Iowa. Elizabeth and Eden had no children. Elizabeth is buried in Fairview Township, Jasper County, Iowa. Her grandniece generously donated two of her quilts to the Smithsonian in 1949.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1865-1870
maker
Lisle, Lizzie
ID Number
TE.T10102
accession number
144535
catalog number
T10102

Coverlet; Figured and Fancy, double cloth; c. 1840; likely Ohio

An unidentified weaver wove this blue and white, double-cloth coverlet with self-fringe along the side edges. The centerfield pattern features the “Double Rose” motif with tiles of eight-pointed stars and “Double Starburst” motifs.
Description
An unidentified weaver wove this blue and white, double-cloth coverlet with self-fringe along the side edges. The centerfield pattern features the “Double Rose” motif with tiles of eight-pointed stars and “Double Starburst” motifs. The three borders all depict adorssed Distelfinken (thistle finches) with the Germanic tree of life (Hom) motif. The cornerblock design features the weaver’s or factory’s trademark design, which in this case is rose in profile or possibly a leaf. The owner of this trademark has yet to be identified. The coverlet measures 82 inches by 70 inches and was constructed of two panels that were woven in one length. There upper edge of the coverlet features considerable loss conducive with heavy use over many generations.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
19th century
date made
c. 1840
ID Number
TE.T4262
catalog number
T04262.000
accession number
066143

1979 - 1980 Francoise Barnes' "Inhibitions II" Quilt

“Inhibitions II,” as named by the artist, Francoise Barnes, is a quilted piece utilizing the “Log Cabin” pattern. Francoise was among the artists in the 1970s who established the Art Quilt movement in which artists use traditional and modern quilting techniques to create art.
Description
“Inhibitions II,” as named by the artist, Francoise Barnes, is a quilted piece utilizing the “Log Cabin” pattern. Francoise was among the artists in the 1970s who established the Art Quilt movement in which artists use traditional and modern quilting techniques to create art. She, along with others, helped found the Quilt National, a venue for the exhibition of non-traditional quilts.
Nine 14-inch Log Cabin blocks of contrasting solid colors were assembled to create the center of this quilted piece. It is framed by a 5½-inch diagonally-pieced border. It is machine stitched and hand quilted. Vivid colors and the use of shading contribute to the overall dynamism of this 1970s example of an Art Quilt.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1979-1980
maker
Barnes, Francoise
ID Number
1995.0011.07
accession number
1995.0011
catalog number
1995.0011.07

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.