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.

Date: 1870s

Elizabeth Blanchard Greene's embroidered shopping bag, 1870s

Elizabeth Blanchard Greene's embroidered utility bag, 1870s. A utility type shopping bag of grey wool suede-cloth in twill pile weave, embroidered in multi-color wools in petit point with a church, flower and shrub design on one side and a bird in bower design on the other.
Description
Elizabeth Blanchard Greene's embroidered utility bag, 1870s. A utility type shopping bag of grey wool suede-cloth in twill pile weave, embroidered in multi-color wools in petit point with a church, flower and shrub design on one side and a bird in bower design on the other. The top half is of unadorned silk taffeta with a drawstring and folds down inside the wool lower half. Gray braided cord trim and multi-colored twisted cord handles.Made by Mrs. James D. Greene (aunt of the donor) Newton Center, MA, in the 1870's. Mrs. James D. Greene is Elizabeth Orne Blanchard Damon, born May 1840 to William and Caroline Blanchard in Boston, MA. She married October 7, 1879, James D. Green in Lancaster, MA. Her first husband was Edwards Adams Damon, whom she married December 20, 1870.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1870s
maker
Damon, Elizabeth Orne Blancard
ID Number
TE.T09921.000
catalog number
T09921.000
accession number
177011

1850 - 1875 "Harvest Sun" Pieced Quilt

Each of the “Harvest Sun” patterned blocks has a “Le Moyne Star” in the center. The placement of the blocks gives the quilt an overall kaleidoscope effect. Fabrics in the quilt include both floral and geometric roller-printed cottons.
Description (Brief)
Each of the “Harvest Sun” patterned blocks has a “Le Moyne Star” in the center. The placement of the blocks gives the quilt an overall kaleidoscope effect. Fabrics in the quilt include both floral and geometric roller-printed cottons. Simple diagonal and parallel lines were used for the quilting pattern.
Probably made in Orange County, N. Y., the quilt was part of a much larger 1930s donation of over 180 textile-related objects. The donation included samplers, needlework tools, baskets, spinning wheels, and embroideries, among other items that are related to textile production in the 19th century.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T06881
accession number
115031
catalog number
T06881

1874 William Barnard's Pieced Crib Quilt

This child or crib quilt was made for William Barnard in 1874. He was born in September 1874 and died in December 1890. The quilt was made either by his mother, Ruth Ann Pettibone Barnard (1852-1945), or grandmother, Eliza Hackley Pettibone (1821-1913).
Description
This child or crib quilt was made for William Barnard in 1874. He was born in September 1874 and died in December 1890. The quilt was made either by his mother, Ruth Ann Pettibone Barnard (1852-1945), or grandmother, Eliza Hackley Pettibone (1821-1913). Or it may have been a joint project. Ruth Ann lived in Washington D.C. and her mother, Eliza, in Crown Point, Indiana.
Nine-patch blocks, 3 ½-inch square, are pieced with printed red and white and plain white cottons. These alternate with plain white blocks. The printed red and white fabrics are roller-printed with a variety of designs. The simple Nine-patch quilt shows wear and use, but was kept in the family until it was donated in 1961.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1874
maker
Barnard, Thomas
unknown
ID Number
TE.T12678
accession number
237318
catalog number
T12678

1850 - 1870 Patience Ramsey's Pieced Quilt

Patience Ramsey pieced this quilt with four-pointed stars set with white diamonds, a pattern published in Godey’s Lady’s Book in March 1851.
Description
Patience Ramsey pieced this quilt with four-pointed stars set with white diamonds, a pattern published in Godey’s Lady’s Book in March 1851. Although no name was given to the design in the magazine, in recent times it is known as “Job’s Troubles.” The roller-printed cottons used for the quilt date from the 1850s.
Patience Ramsey was born in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, in 1832. She married William Gutshall and they had thirteen children. She died in 1880. This quilt and another in the Collection were donated by her granddaughter about 100 years after Patience stitched them.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1870
maker
Ramsey, Patience
ID Number
TE.T13211
accession number
250982
catalog number
T13211

Chantilly Black Silk Bobbin Lace Shawl

This handmade black silk Chantilly bobbin lace shawl is from the third quarter of the 19th century and is in excellent condition. The large scale design with swags and great bouquets of flowers is typical of mid 19th century exuberance.Currently not on view
Description
This handmade black silk Chantilly bobbin lace shawl is from the third quarter of the 19th century and is in excellent condition. The large scale design with swags and great bouquets of flowers is typical of mid 19th century exuberance.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T13164
catalog number
T13164
accession number
250794

1850 - 1875 Mary La Follette's Pieced Quilt Top

This unfinished quilt top, which resembles a “Tic Tac Toe” game, was made by Mary La Follette of Primrose, Wis. Two different 8-inch block patterns were used to create the quilt top---an X and a hollow octagon.
Description
This unfinished quilt top, which resembles a “Tic Tac Toe” game, was made by Mary La Follette of Primrose, Wis. Two different 8-inch block patterns were used to create the quilt top---an X and a hollow octagon. Ninety-nine blocks, pieced with roller-printed cottons, are framed by a 1 ¾-inch white border. In 1974, Mary’s granddaughter donated this quilt top that had been in the family.
Mary Ferguson was born in November 1818 in Indiana. She married Alexander Buchanan in 1840, but he died in an accident before their first child, Ellen, was born. In 1846 Mary married Josiah La Follette. After a few years in Indiana they moved in 1849 with their children Ellen (b. 1841), and William (b. 1847) to Primrose County, Wis. They farmed, and two more children Josephine (b. 1853) and Robert Marion (b. 1855) were born. Another son, Marion, born in 1850, died as a toddler in 1853. Mary’s husband, Josiah, died in 1856, a few months after Robert was born. After Mary became a widow for the second time, she worked the farm with her children until 1862, when she married John Saxton (1792-1873). In 1873, after his death, she moved to Madison, Wis, where she died April 21, 1894.
It was her youngest son, Robert or “Fighting Bob” La Follette who became well known in politics. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1885-1891), governor of Wisconsin (1901-1906) and U.S. Senator (1906-1925). He died in Washington, D.C., in 1925.
Among many qualities, Mary was known for her industry, strong character, and active participation in the pioneer life of Primrose, Wis. The quilt top is a reminder of one of her skills, that as a seamstress. Her obituary in the Mt. Horeb Times of April 1894 stated “The brilliant career of her youngest son, from this period on, and the esteem in which her other children were held, must have been a source of pride and comfort to her in her old age.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
La Follette, Mary
ID Number
TE.T17173
accession number
313380
catalog number
T17173

Spanish Mantilla or Fall Cap in Blonde Bobbin Lace

This mantilla or fall cap was made in silk in the Spanish Blonde bobbin lace technique during the mid-19th century. The large floral sprays consist of linen stitch motifs outlined with a heavier gimp thread.
Description
This mantilla or fall cap was made in silk in the Spanish Blonde bobbin lace technique during the mid-19th century. The large floral sprays consist of linen stitch motifs outlined with a heavier gimp thread. The honeycomb fillings and the point ground mesh are made with finer silk threads. The shape cover the head and lets the long streamers adorn the dress worn. The mantilla is very fragile.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1870
Associated Date
1840-1870
Associated Name
Pinchot, Mary Eno
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.L6464
accession number
48717
catalog number
L6464

1864 Civil War Album Quilt Top

Three hundred eighty-four 3 ¾-inch squares of printed and plain white cottons were used to create this quilt top. The plain white squares were all inscribed in ink by many different hands.
Description
Three hundred eighty-four 3 ¾-inch squares of printed and plain white cottons were used to create this quilt top. The plain white squares were all inscribed in ink by many different hands. Several squares are dated “June 1864” and some state a place, “Amherst, Mass.” Most squares contain religious messages, but some secular inscriptions are evident: “Three cheers for the Red, white & blue 1864” “God save Gen. Grant and his brave men” and "A remembrance from the children of Amherst June 1864."
On July 1, 1864, the "Hampshire and Franklin Express" published the following note (p. 2) under "LATEST WAR NEWS":
"Album Bed-quilts"
"The Ladies Soldiers' Aid Society of this village [Amherst, Mass] are making quite a number of small hospital quilts, of patch-work, on every square of which is most neatly written in indelible ink, a sentiment of sympathy, a verse of scripture, or a choice scrap of poetry or prose, and are altogether, very beautiful articles, and cannot fail to be comforting to the wounded soldier to decipher, as he lies on his weary couch of pain."
The pieced top was used to cover an older wool quilt (TE*T14021.00A) and the finished product was sent to a Union army hospital during the Civil War.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1864
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T14021.00B
accession number
272176
catalog number
T14021B

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

1850 - 1875 "Nine-patch" Pieced Quilt

An unknown quilter assembled this quilt using a striking combination of deep blue, red, and various plaids of wool, wool-cotton, and cotton fabrics. Five-and-a-half inch square blocks are pieced in a modified “Nine-patch” design.
Description
An unknown quilter assembled this quilt using a striking combination of deep blue, red, and various plaids of wool, wool-cotton, and cotton fabrics. Five-and-a-half inch square blocks are pieced in a modified “Nine-patch” design. Each has a red center, blue rectangles, and plaid corner squares. They are set alternately with blue squares. These are framed by plaid triangles along the edges. It is quilted 8 stitches per inch. The binding, a ½ inch straight strip of the same blue fabric as the large squares, completes the quilt.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T17346.000
catalog number
T17346.000
accession number
321804

quilt piece

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T18417.000
catalog number
T18417.000

Brussels Bobbin Lace Appliqué Shawl

This triangular shawl is of Brussels bobbin lace appliqué over machine made net and is of very good quality. Small embellishment of needle lace enhances the mostly bobbin made floral and ribbon motifs. It was made in the 19th Century of cotton.Currently not on view
Description
This triangular shawl is of Brussels bobbin lace appliqué over machine made net and is of very good quality. Small embellishment of needle lace enhances the mostly bobbin made floral and ribbon motifs. It was made in the 19th Century of cotton.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1865-1870
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.E345008
accession number
107000
catalog number
E345008

1876 Mary W. Stow's "Centennial" Quilt

“Mary W. Stow,” embroidered in red, is prominent on this patriotic quilt made of fabrics commemorating the 1876 Centennial in Philadelphia. The motifs were cut from bandannas that were printed as souvenirs of the event, and then appliquéd on white cotton.
Description
“Mary W. Stow,” embroidered in red, is prominent on this patriotic quilt made of fabrics commemorating the 1876 Centennial in Philadelphia. The motifs were cut from bandannas that were printed as souvenirs of the event, and then appliquéd on white cotton. Most of the motifs are edged with a button-hole stitch using red cotton. Printed fabrics with patriotic motifs were popular in America before the 1876 Centennial, but the major exhibition in Philadelphia provided textile companies with an incentive to produce many new fabrics for the event. Several of these can be found on the quilt.
The central motif depicts the Memorial Hall Art Gallery at the Centennial International Exhibition at Fairmont Park, Philadelphia. The Main Exhibition Building, Machinery Hall, Agricultural Hall, and the Horticultural Hall are circular motifs. These all originally appeared on one bandanna. There are flags of many nations, most likely cut from a printed textile. Cut-out portraits on printed fabric of George and Martha Washington, William Penn, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Ulysses Grant are among the motifs. Democratic candidates for president and vice-president, Samuel J. Tilden and Thomas A. Hendricks, and their Republican counterparts, Rutherford Hayes and William A. Wheeler, appear in separate motifs.
Mary W. Stow lived in Wisconsin, and included on her quilt printed pictures of the capitol building at Madison, Wisconsin and Harrison Ludington (1812-1891), governor of Wisconsin from 1876 to 1878.
Motifs also include inked drawings of the Hingham, Massachusetts, First Meeting House, the Bunker Hill Monument, the Liberty Bell, the Charter Oak, Trinity Church, and Independence Hall. Several motifs have the printed or inked date “1876.”
The border makes use of patriotic colors. A 1½-inch inner band of blue striped cotton with white stars is framed by an outer 1¾-inch band of red cotton. Quilting, 9 stitches per inch, outlines the appliquéd motifs. The border is quilted with a feathered vine and 1-inch diamond quilting fills the background.
The patriotic theme is carried to the lining of the quilt. In the center of the back is a bandanna with the printed text of the Declaration of Independence and facsimiles of the signatures of the signers. These are framed by the Liberty Bell and seals of the thirteen colonies, linked by names of the Revolutionary patriots.
Mary Williams Loomis was born on April 8, 1820, in Brownville, Jefferson County, New York. The daughter of General Thomas Loomis, she married Marcellus Kent Stow (1806-1871) on October 5, 1837, in Buffalo, New York. They moved to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, in 1852 where Marcellus was a business man, practiced law, and was a county judge.
Marcellus had followed his brother, Alexander, to Wisconsin from New York and together they had platted subdivisions that provided a plan for the city’s growth. Their father, Silas Stow, was a congressman from New York during the War of 1812. Mary and Marcellus reared five children, two girls and three boys.
Mary was also active in the Fond du Lac community. She was a foundering member of the Fond du Lac Relief Society, established in 1873 following the great forest fires of 1872 that destroyed several areas in Wisconsin. The establishment and management of a “Home for the Friendless” or “The Home” was a result of the fund-raising labors of this organization. Operating well into the twentieth century “The Home” provided a refuge for those in need, particularly the elderly, who did not have other resources. Although widowed, Mary still lived in Fond du Lac at the time of the Philadelphia 1876 Centennial. She may have visited the Exhibition and made this quilt as a reminder of the event. Her son, James W. Stow (1853-1913), lived in Washington, D.C., and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. It was in Washington, D.C., on June 13, 1898, that Mary died.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1876
maker
Stow, Mary W.
ID Number
TE.T15703
accession number
297870
catalog number
T15703

1860 - 1870 Polly Fetherolf's "Log Cabin" Child's Quilt

In 1977 Laura M. Trexler donated this child’s quilt made by her great-grandmother in the mid-nineteenth century. According to family history it was made for Polly’s daughter, Lucetta (1851-1934). Lucetta was married to Amos D.
Description
In 1977 Laura M. Trexler donated this child’s quilt made by her great-grandmother in the mid-nineteenth century. According to family history it was made for Polly’s daughter, Lucetta (1851-1934). Lucetta was married to Amos D. Trexler (1845-1915) in the early 1870s and the quilt was used for all their children, the last born in 1890. They lived in Trexler, Pennsylvania, where the family had several businesses.
The “Log Cabin”-patterned quilt is composed of four 6½-inch blocks pieced with beige and fuchsia wool and wool/cotton fabrics. A 5-inch border in beige frames the four “Log Cabin” blocks. It is machine quilted with a chain stitch.
Maria (Polly) Kistler, daughter of John Kistler and Maria Brobst, was born October 20, 1824 in Lynn Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. She married Daniel W. Fetherolf (b. 1821) in 1844. They farmed, and on the 1880 census were still living in Lynn Township. Maria (Polly) died in 1910 and is buried in the St. Jacobs Union Church Cemetery, Jacksonville, Lynn Township, Pennsylvania.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1860-1870
maker
Fetherolf, Polly
ID Number
TE.T18384
accession number
1978.0619
catalog number
T18384

Overshot coverlet panel, Civil War era

Blue and white overshot coverlet panel or length. According to the donor, this coverlet was acquired whole during the Civil War by Union officer, Capt. Peter Stamats during General Sherman’s “March to the Sea.” Stamats took this coverlet from an evacuated enemy encampment.
Description
Blue and white overshot coverlet panel or length. According to the donor, this coverlet was acquired whole during the Civil War by Union officer, Capt. Peter Stamats during General Sherman’s “March to the Sea.” Stamats took this coverlet from an evacuated enemy encampment. Stamats is a grandfather of the donor. This blue and white overshot coverlet panel was woven in a pattern similar to “Seven Stars.” When Capt. Stamats returned home, he separated the coverlet into panels and gave them to his three children. The panel measures 93 inches by 26.25 inches. All of the yarns, both the cotton ground warp and weft and the wool supplementary weft yarns are Z-spun singles. It is possible that this coverlet was produced by enslaved weavers.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
19th century
date made
mid 19th century
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T12724
catalog number
T12724.000
accession number
238999

1850 - 1875 "Dutch Tile" Pieced Quilt

This pieced quilt consists of 5-inch blocks in the “Dutch Tile” or “”Diamond in the Square” pattern, set diagonally in 7-inch wide strips. These strips are separated by 7-inch strips of cotton printed in a series of geometric stripes.
Description
This pieced quilt consists of 5-inch blocks in the “Dutch Tile” or “”Diamond in the Square” pattern, set diagonally in 7-inch wide strips. These strips are separated by 7-inch strips of cotton printed in a series of geometric stripes. The fabrics are mainly geometric roller-printed cottons. The lining consists of three lengths of plain-woven ivory cotton. It is quilted 8 stitches per inch. The binding is a ½-inch (finished) straight strip of the same printed cotton used for the long dividing strips; seamed to the front, whipped to the lining. The variety of fabrics utilized contributes to the overall design of this quilt.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T17327.000
catalog number
T17327.000
accession number
321804

1877 - 1878 Caroline Granger's Prize-winning Child's Quilt

Agricultural fairs flourished in the mid-nineteenth century and exhibitions of women's needlework skills drew large audiences as they competed for prizes and recognition. A bronze medal, designed by William Barber, was inscribed, “Awarded to Mrs.
Description
Agricultural fairs flourished in the mid-nineteenth century and exhibitions of women's needlework skills drew large audiences as they competed for prizes and recognition. A bronze medal, designed by William Barber, was inscribed, “Awarded to Mrs. Joseph Granger for the best Crib Quilt – Worcester, Mass. 1878” by the New England Agricultural Society. A certificate from the office of the New England Agricultural Society states that: “Mrs. Joseph Granger Worcester, Mass. received a Bronze medal awarded at the New England and Worcester Agricultural Fairs, held in the City of Worcester, Mass. September, 1878, for the best Crib Quilt.” Mrs. Joseph (Caroline) Granger’s granddaughter, Claire L. Meyer, donated the quilt, medal, and certificate to the Smithsonian in 1972.
A note with the quilt, written by one of Caroline Granger’s children, states: “Mother’s quilt all hand quilted she made her own designs with a pin. She got first prize at the Sturbridge fair and every time she showed it at the New England fair – there was even questioning that it was machine made so every body had to examine it closely.” Another note, in different hand, that was with the quilt states: “Couverture de berceau piquee a la main por Mmes Joseph Granger qui importa le primier prix – (Medaille d’or) ‘New England Fair’ de 1878.”
The all-white child’s quilt, according to the note referred to in French as a “cradle cover,” is made of cotton. The stylized floral center medallion on a diagonal grid background is finely quilted, 12 stitches per inch. The 9-inch border is quilted with an undulating vine and flowers on a background of parallel diagonal lines. Caroline Granger’s design and precise hand quilting are definitely of prize-winning quality.
Marie Caroline Lamoureux was born on March 3, 1850 in St-Ours, Richelieu, Quebec, Canada. She was the daughter of Antoine Lamoureux and Marie Elizabeth Moge. On January 30, 1873, she married Joseph H. Granger in N. Grosvenordale, Connecticut. They lived in Worcester, Massachusetts, and had twelve children. Two children, born in 1873 and 1875, died before their first birthdays. A daughter, Marie Ida, was about two when Caroline’s quilt won a prize in 1878 and another daughter, Alam Victoria, was born in late 1878. Caroline died on June 9, 1936.
Claire L. Meyer, the Granger’s granddaughter, wrote; “Many thanks for your letter of July 7, 1972 regarding a crib quilt made by my grandmother a hundred years ago. I am also enclosing for your consideration a quilt machine stitched by my grandfather! . . . I hope it will be worthy of the national collection.” The two quilts are worthy, and provide an interesting contrast between the precise handwork of Mrs. Caroline Granger and the equally precise machine stitching of Mr. Joseph Granger.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1877-1878
maker
Granger, Caroline
ID Number
TE.T16317.00A
accession number
302043
catalog number
T16317A

1859 - 1870 Adaline Wharton Street's Pieced Album Quilt

This album quilt top, belonged to Adaline Wharton Street, the donor’s grandmother. The quilt top is composed of twenty-four 7¾-inch blocks pieced in the “Flying Geese” or “Goose in the Pond” pattern.
Description
This album quilt top, belonged to Adaline Wharton Street, the donor’s grandmother. The quilt top is composed of twenty-four 7¾-inch blocks pieced in the “Flying Geese” or “Goose in the Pond” pattern. Except for four blocks in the center made of green and white cottons, the rest of the top utilizes roller-printed cottons. This unfinished quilt top has a 4-inch border along one side.
Adaline was born in Pennsylvania in 1820. She married Jonathan Street (1843) and in 1855 they settled in Wenona, Illinois. The dates on this quilt top are 1859 and 1869. There are several signatures, most with the surname of “MCarty” or “McCarty”. It is not possible to determine whether these are blocks from Pennsylvania or Adaline’s new home in Illinois. Album quilts were popular items during the mid-19th century, often given to friends or family moving to new locations.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1859-1870
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T17603
accession number
318024
catalog number
T17603

1850 - 1875 Mary Maphis Copp's Pieced Quilt

Mary Maphis Copp pieced this cotton quilt in the mid-19th century. The center panel consists of alternating “Nine-patch” and plain white 6" blocks.
Description
Mary Maphis Copp pieced this cotton quilt in the mid-19th century. The center panel consists of alternating “Nine-patch” and plain white 6" blocks. It is framed by a border of 24 blocks in the“Sunflower” or “Blazing Star” pattern.
The sunflowers are unusual in that they have nineteen petals. The quilting patterns of outline, double-line diagonal grid, and parallel lines enhance the design. There is no separate binding; instead the back was brought to the front and whipstitched. The quilt is a distinctive combination of a simple pattern in the center panel with a more complicated pattern in the border blocks.
Mary C. [Catherine] Maphis was born September 8, 1831, to John H. and Fannie V. Headley Maphis in Woodstock, Va. She married George W. Copp (1825-1899), a farmer, on November 7, 1850. They settled at Fisher’s Hill, a small village near Strasburg, Va. George and Mary had eight children: Frances (1851-1943), John W. (1852-1917), William H. (b. 1854), David E. (1855-1926), Silas A. ( 1856-1926), Barbara R. (b. 1859), George V. (b. 1862), and Benjamin (b. 1872). According to family information, their home was the site of a Civil War battle. It was burned and all their belongings lost.
Fisher’s Hill was part of Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign September 21-22, 1864. The Confederate Army retreated (casualty estimates of 1,235 to the Union’s 528) and left the Valley open to a “scorched earth” invasion in which dwellings and other buildings were burnt from Staunton to Strasburg, Virginia.
The Copp family eventually relocated to Strasburg. Mary died on February 11, 1886. She is buried in the Strasburg Presbyterian Church Cemetery. The quilt was donated to the National Museum by her granddaughter Mrs. Irene Copp Pifer, the daughter of Mary’s son, John W. Copp.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
Copp, Mary C. Maphis
ID Number
TE.T13463
accession number
254850
catalog number
T13463

Cap Crown Fashioned From Floral Honiton Lace

Oval shape cap crown made in Honiton bobbin lace floral motifs connected with needle made brides. It is bordered with 1/8 inch wide machine made bobbin lace like tape. This cap crown was repurposed from a larger piece of Honiton lace.Currently not on view
Description (Brief)
Oval shape cap crown made in Honiton bobbin lace floral motifs connected with needle made brides. It is bordered with 1/8 inch wide machine made bobbin lace like tape. This cap crown was repurposed from a larger piece of Honiton lace.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850 - 1875
ID Number
TE.L7006
catalog number
L7006.000
accession number
no number
catalog number
L7006

Centennial Exposition coverlet; Jacquard; tied-Beiderwand; 1876; Pennsylvania

This American Centennial, Jacquard, tied-Beiderwand coverlet was woven for and sold at the Centennial International Exposition in 1876; a souvenir for visitors. The Centennial Expo was the first official World’s Fair.
Description
This American Centennial, Jacquard, tied-Beiderwand coverlet was woven for and sold at the Centennial International Exposition in 1876; a souvenir for visitors. The Centennial Expo was the first official World’s Fair. The coverlet was woven using cotton and wool yarns and features Memorial Hall, the building used to house the art gallery space for the expo, in the center field. The Beaux-Arts building is labeled below, surrounded by ivy, and flanked by a pair of Great Seal eagles. The building still stands in Philadelphia today and was renovated in 2010. Above the hall is the woven inscription, "Centennial.” The dates 1776-1876 are woven into either side of Memorial Hall. There is a floral border along all four sides that depicts floral/foliate and anthemion motifs. These coverlets were produced industrially, likely in the Philadelphia area. There were made as affordable souvenirs and the lower quality is reflected in the thin and loosely spun red wool yarns and the significant loss to the upper edge. The coverlet measures 77.5 inches by 75.5 inches and was almost certainly woven on a Jacquard power loom.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1876
ID Number
TE.T20153
catalog number
T20153
T.20153
accession number
317831

1850 - 1875 "Variable Star" Pieced Quilt

Names for quilt pattern blocks change over time, by region, and as variations on traditional or classical block patterns develop. This quilt is an example of the “Variable Star” pattern set in vertical strips.
Description
Names for quilt pattern blocks change over time, by region, and as variations on traditional or classical block patterns develop. This quilt is an example of the “Variable Star” pattern set in vertical strips. These strips alternate with 11 ½-inch vertical strips of printed floral striped cotton. Roller-printed cottons of many designs, woven checks, and plaids are used for the quilt. The top 6-inches of the quilt alternates the print used for the triangles in the blocks and the floral stripe fabric used in the 11-inch panels. The lower corners are cut out. A plain-woven ivory cotton was used for the lining; cotton was used for the filling.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
unknown
ID Number
1996.0044.112
accession number
1996.0044
catalog number
1996.0044.112

1850 - 1875 Pieced Quilt

Plain-weave roller-printed cottons, mainly geometrics, plaids, and stripes were effectively assembled to construct this quilt.
Description
Plain-weave roller-printed cottons, mainly geometrics, plaids, and stripes were effectively assembled to construct this quilt. Pieced blocks, 8 1/2-inch square, are crossed diagonally by a band of pieced small triangles to create an overall interesting geometric effect.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T17332.000
catalog number
T17332.000
accession number
321804

1850 - 1875 Long Plantation "Feathered Star" Pieced Quilt

In the donor’s words: “The . . . quilt was pieced and quilted by the wives of the Negro slaves, with my grandmother being there to see that they did it right. The cotton filling in the quilt was raised on the Long plantation.
Description
In the donor’s words: “The . . . quilt was pieced and quilted by the wives of the Negro slaves, with my grandmother being there to see that they did it right. The cotton filling in the quilt was raised on the Long plantation. The quilt came to me from my mother who had received it from her mother-in-law. This quilt, when first made and even after I received it, was green, red and white . . . the green has faded out [to tan]. You will find some machine stitching on the border around the quilt, my mother did this a number of years ago as it became worn from use . . . the quilt is very precious to me because of the history related to it.”
The plantation the donor refers to is situated on Little Cypress Creek in Upshur County, Texas. It was homesteaded by M.S. Long Sr., the donor’s grandfather. M. S. Long, originally from Ireland, traveled by wagon train from Tennessee (where he had first settled) to Texas in the 1840s. He brought along slaves who built houses and other buildings, and then cleared lands for crops such as cotton, corn and cane. The plantation grew to well over 1,000 acres and the donor’s grandparents lived there the rest of their lives. It was on this plantation that the quilt was made.
The quilt consists of four 28” blocks and 2 half-blocks pieced in a “Feathered Star” pattern. The blocks are joined by triple 1 ¼” strips with red 8-pointed stars at the intersections. It has a plain-woven white and brown stripe cotton lining. A border strip (2 2/3”) of white cotton is stitched over the original red, green (now tan), and white sashing. Possibly the quilt was cut down to eliminate worn areas. It is quilted, 5-6 stitches per inch.
This “Feathered Star” quilt and a thimble used by the donor’s great-grandfather in Ireland for making and repairing leather goods are in the Collection. The donor was the last in the family and did not wish to see these treasured items lost or thrown away. The quilt is an example of a utilitarian, well used household item made by slaves as part of their work on a plantation.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
unknown
ID Number
1979.0933.01
catalog number
1979.0933.01
accession number
1979.0933

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