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.

Resource Type: Quilts

1880 - 1890 Kaziah Bathurst's Quilt

Kaziah North Bathurst made this cotton quilt as a gift to her stepson, Samuel Harvey Bathurst. The carefully pieced baskets with their appliquéd handles contain scraps from the dresses of Samuel’s mother, Emily Susan Bathurst (1833-1869).
Description
Kaziah North Bathurst made this cotton quilt as a gift to her stepson, Samuel Harvey Bathurst. The carefully pieced baskets with their appliquéd handles contain scraps from the dresses of Samuel’s mother, Emily Susan Bathurst (1833-1869). Samuel was born in Washington County, Iowa, in 1853. He farmed and was a lifelong resident of Adair County, Iowa, until his death in 1937.
Thirty pieced and appliquéd 7 ½-inch blocks in the “Basket” pattern alternate with plain white blocks. These are framed by a 5 ½-inch white border. The quilting patterns include feathered circles and undulating ivy vines, with pairs of birds between the baskets in the outer row. Each bird is in profile with its head turned to the back, revealing an eye embroidered in black cotton thread.
Born in Pennsylvania in 1841, Kaziah (Keziah) North was living in Iowa with her family by 1860. At age 30, Kaziah married Roland Curtin Bathurst, a widower with eight children of which Samuel was the eldest. Kaziah and Roland had three more children. According to family history, Kaziah made a quilt for each of her eight stepchildren using fabrics from their mother’s dresses. She also made quilts for the three youngest children, Roland, Pearl, and Iva Gay, with fabrics from her own dresses. Kaziah’s husband, Roland, died in 1900, and she died in 1922. Both are buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Atchison County, Kansas.
Samuel’s daughter, Effie, donated his quilt to the Museum in memory of her father, and as a tribute to Kaziah who used her quilting expertise to keep memories alive for both her children and stepchildren.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1880-1890
maker
Bathurst, Kaziah North
ID Number
TE.T15107
catalog number
T15107
accession number
288155

1800 - 1825 Elizabeth C. Nunn's "Liberty" Quilted Counterpane

After its adoption in 1782, the Great Seal of the United States became a popular design motif. An adaptation of the eagle design centers the top of this hand-woven cotton quilt that was block-printed in the early 19th century for a Mrs. Farris of Kentucky. Mrs.
Description
After its adoption in 1782, the Great Seal of the United States became a popular design motif. An adaptation of the eagle design centers the top of this hand-woven cotton quilt that was block-printed in the early 19th century for a Mrs. Farris of Kentucky. Mrs. Farris’s daughter, Elizabeth C. Nunn, lined and interlined the top with cotton and stitched the layers together in a diamond quilting pattern.
Blocks for printing such bedcovers were of crudely carved wood, with individual motifs that could be arranged in a variety of designs. The color on this example, probably originally printed with Prussian blue, has faded from washings.
Elizabeth C. born in 1783 in Virginia, married William Nunn (1783-1822) in March 1805. Elizabeth died in Kentucky in 1871.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800-1825
maker
Nunn, Elizabeth C.
ID Number
TE.T15294
catalog number
T15294
accession number
292230

1875 - 1885 James, Kent, Santee & Co. Fabric Sampler Quilt Top

The quilt top is comprised of twenty-five 13-inch printed cotton squares that are samples from the textile firm, James, Kent, Santee & Co., of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. All of the squares are plain-woven, roller-printed cotton.
Description
The quilt top is comprised of twenty-five 13-inch printed cotton squares that are samples from the textile firm, James, Kent, Santee & Co., of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. All of the squares are plain-woven, roller-printed cotton. Thirteen squares are different red on pink or pink on red floral designs; twelve are brilliant polychrome prints, mainly paisleys. The squares are hand sewn, but the border is stitched on by machine.
James, Kent, Santee & Co., was a successful textile firm established by William C. Kent and two friends in 1840. A New York Times notice (February 22, 1860) listed the firm among other Philadelphia merchants, as “enemies to the institutions of the South.” They were listed under “THE BLACK LIST, OR ABOLITION HOUSES, OF PHILADELPHIA.” Despite this and a disastrous Philadelphia fire in February 1866 that destroyed their buildings, the firm prospered until it was reorganized under another name in 1882.
The donor’s father, Henry D. Welsh, joined the firm in 1852, became a partner in 1856 and continued in the firm until 1881. William C. Kent and Henry D. Welsh and others, in addition to the textile business, successfully invested their time and energies in the development of railroads. Among many other civic activities, Henry D. Welsh was one of the incorporators of the Centennial Exposition in 1876. Both men, self-made, died successful businessmen. The quilt top represents the product of the textile firm that was instrumental in their careers.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1875-1885
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T07540
accession number
112548
catalog number
T07540

1840 - 1860 Susan Ladson McPherson's Appliqued Quilt

“It [quilt] was made 125 years ago in Charleston, S.C., by my great-grandmother, Susan Ladson McPherson. It is in perfect condition as it has evidently never been used, only hoarded as an heirloom.
Description
“It [quilt] was made 125 years ago in Charleston, S.C., by my great-grandmother, Susan Ladson McPherson. It is in perfect condition as it has evidently never been used, only hoarded as an heirloom. I have no daughter to leave it to and it is too large and elaborate for everyday use.” So wrote the donor in 1943.
The original quilt had the center floral wreath encircled by rose vines with a few appliqued flowers around the edge. At a later point appliques were removed (evidenced by many needle-holes) and others added to the center (scrolled frames and vases of flowers) as well as roller-printed cotton borders.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
maker
McPherson, Susan Ladson
ID Number
TE.T08886
accession number
165195
catalog number
T08886

1850 -1875 Rachel Burr Corwin's Whole Cloth Tied Comforter

Four lengths of a cotton fabric with a palm-tree-and-pheasant design were used to create the top for this tied whole cloth comforter or counterpane.
Description
Four lengths of a cotton fabric with a palm-tree-and-pheasant design were used to create the top for this tied whole cloth comforter or counterpane. A color palate of blue and white on a dark brown ground was used for the roller-printed copy of an 1815 English block-print design. The lining, four lengths, is also a cotton roller-printed fabric of a striped geometric in brown, red, and white on a tan ground. A very thick layer of cotton was used for the filling. It is tied with white cotton. The Collection has other quilts made by Rachel Corwin.
Rachel Burr, daughter of Samuel Burr and Sibyl Scudder Burr of Massachusetts, was born March 3, 1788. She married Samuel Corwin of Orange County, New York, October 14, 1809. They had four children. Needlework examples by one of their daughters, Celia, are also in the Collection. Rachel Burr Corwin died March 14, 1849, in Orange County, New York.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
Corwin, Rachel Burr
ID Number
TE.T07115
accession number
121578
catalog number
T07115

1825 - 1835 Abbie Corey Brackett's Whole Cloth Chintz Quilt

According to information given with the donation in 1945, this quilt originally belonged to Abbie Corey Brackett. Abbie Corey [Corah] married Ichabod Brackett, a hired man on the Corey family farm in Plainfield, Conn., in 1816.
Description
According to information given with the donation in 1945, this quilt originally belonged to Abbie Corey Brackett. Abbie Corey [Corah] married Ichabod Brackett, a hired man on the Corey family farm in Plainfield, Conn., in 1816. “All her father, Squire Joshiah Corey would allow her to take from home, were the two quilts, which she made. He allowed her nothing more. The Coreys were Scotch.” While this may have explained the other “quilt,” a woven coverlet, this particular quilt dates from about 1825-1835.
The quilt top consists of lengths of a single glazed, roller-printed cotton. The “Pillar Print” design is in red and brown, with an olive drab color added by surface roller. The combination of architectural and floral elements was particularly popular from 1825 to 1835 in American household furnishing fabrics. The quilt has a plain-weave white cotton lining and cotton fiber filling. Concentric diamonds and a quilting pattern variously known as “Rob Peter and Pay Paul,” or “Lafayette Orange Peel” or “Dolly Madison’s Workbox,” quilted at six stitches per inch, complete the quilt.
Records indicate that Abigail Corey was born about 1789. She married Ichabod Brackett (about 1790-1862) 3 February 1816. Sadly, after his death, Abigail is listed on the 1870 census as “Nabby Brackett” born about 1787 and living in Dudley, Worcester, Mass., as a pauper. On the 1880 census she is listed as Abigail Brackett and an “inmate” in Dudley. The donor received this quilt and a woven coverlet from a friend of her mother’s, Mrs. Hattie Vinton Wright, who was the great-granddaughter of Abbie Corey Brackett. When the items arrived at the Museum in 1945, they were deemed “excellent examples representing types not duplicated in the collections.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1825-1835
maker
Brackett, Abbie Corey
ID Number
TE.T09126
accession number
169638
catalog number
T09126

1850 - 1875 "Shoo-fly" Pieced Quilt

“Shoo-fly” blocks, composed of roller-printed floral and geometric patterned cottons, provide the design for this quilt. The same large floral print cotton was used for both the bands separating the blocks and the ruffled flounce on three sides.
Description
“Shoo-fly” blocks, composed of roller-printed floral and geometric patterned cottons, provide the design for this quilt. The same large floral print cotton was used for both the bands separating the blocks and the ruffled flounce on three sides. The lining is pieced with three lengths of roller-printed cotton in a bold design, depicting a running mare and foal that appear to be in a field or partial wreath of flowers. The quilting is a diagonal grid pattern, 6 stitches per inch. The quilt was donated by a collector of early American domestic furnishings.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.E388878
accession number
182022
catalog number
E388878

1890 - 1910 Alma Starr's Pieced Quilt

Alma Baker Starr crafted this quilt in the “Wild Goose Chase” or “Odd Fellows’ Cross” pattern. The quilt is composed of a vast sampling of late 19th-century and early 20th-century fabrics.
Description
Alma Baker Starr crafted this quilt in the “Wild Goose Chase” or “Odd Fellows’ Cross” pattern. The quilt is composed of a vast sampling of late 19th-century and early 20th-century fabrics. Geometrics, florals, and polka-dots printed on cotton; plaids and florals printed on wool/cotton; florals printed on wool; solid colored wools; and silk and plain white cotton are all represented. The quilt has a white cotton lining and cotton filling. It is quilted to accentuate the pattern, seven stitches per inch.
Alma’s granddaughter, Alma Rosenbaum, donated the quilt in 1969. Her grandmother, Alma (nee Baker) Starr was born July 8, 1856, and died January 21, 1946, in Richfield Springs, New York.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1890-1910
maker
Starr, Alma Baker
ID Number
TE.T14866
catalog number
T14866
accession number
282099

1850 - 1875 Corwin Family's Pieced and Appliqued Quilt

Forty-two 8¾-inch blocks of pieced baskets with appliqued handles are set diagonally with 8¾-inch squares of roller printed cottons. These are framed with three 1½-inch borders.
Description
Forty-two 8¾-inch blocks of pieced baskets with appliqued handles are set diagonally with 8¾-inch squares of roller printed cottons. These are framed with three 1½-inch borders. The squares, one of the borders, and the binding are all the same small floral, roller-printed cotton. A squared spiral pattern (6 stitches per inch) was used for the quilting.
The quilt was in the Corwin family of Middle Hope, New York. Mother, Rachel Burr, and daughter, Celia, both have other needlework examples in the Collection.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T06882
accession number
115031
catalog number
T06882

1800 - 1820 Brown-Francis Family's Patriotic Quilt

This early-nineteenth-century patriotic quilt was owned by members of the Brown-Frances family of Canterbury, Connecticut, before being donated to the Museum in 1947.
Description
This early-nineteenth-century patriotic quilt was owned by members of the Brown-Frances family of Canterbury, Connecticut, before being donated to the Museum in 1947. The donor's grandmother had acquired possession of it along with other household furnishings that were in the eighteenth-century family homestead.
The focus of the quilt, the large center block, is an adaptation of the Great Seal of the United States. An appliquéd eagle holding an arrow in one claw and a leafy sprig in the other dominates the block A shield with fifteen stars that indicate the number of states from June 1, 1792 until June 1, 1796 is behind the eagle. Appliquéd floral and bird motifs complete the block. This center block is set in a field of 4¾-inch blocks alternately plain and pieced in a nine-patch variation. The fabrics include thirty-eight roller-printed, plain colored and white cottons. It is quilted in parallel diagonal lines ¾-inch apart, 7 or 8 stitches per inch. From the late-eighteenth century the American eagle motif has signified patriotism and sacrifice. This quilt by an unknown Canturbury, Connecticut, quilt maker displays a unique rendition of that powerful symbol.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1800-1820
date made
1795-1820
quilter
unknown
ID Number
TE.T13505
accession number
168993
catalog number
T13505

1898 Lura Watkin's Pieced Quilt

Lura B. Thomas made this quilt for her 10-year-old granddaughter, Lura Woodside, in 1898. It was part of the contents, donated in 1953, of Lura Woodside’s late 19th-century child’s bedroom in Malden, Mass.
Description
Lura B. Thomas made this quilt for her 10-year-old granddaughter, Lura Woodside, in 1898. It was part of the contents, donated in 1953, of Lura Woodside’s late 19th-century child’s bedroom in Malden, Mass. Furnishings, children’s clothing and playthings were among the items donated. Like the quilt, most of the clothes and doll dresses were also made by Lura Thomas, who had been a professional dressmaker.
Lura Thomas pieced this quilt of triangles utilizing many different roller-printed and woven checked, plaid, and striped cotton fabrics. Two 2 1/2-inch triangles are joined into a square, and the squares are joined so that the triangles of the same print form a diagonal row. In the center of the quilt “Lura 98” is embroidered in yellow. The quilt has a cotton lining and filling. It is quilted in a chevron pattern at 7 stitches per inch.
The donor, Lura Woodside, was born in East Boston in 1887, and grew up in Malden, Mass. She married Charles Watkins in 1910. An antiques collector and authority on New England ceramics and glass, she published several books and scholarly articles. She was a founder of the Middleton (Massachusetts) Historical Society, and the Lura Woodside Watkins Historical Museum was named in her honor. She died in 1982. Her quilt, made by her grandmother, represents her lifelong interest in history and the sharing of that interest through her many museum donations.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1898
maker
Thomas, Lura B.
ID Number
TE.E393391
accession number
197232
catalog number
E393391

1844 Susan and Henry Underwood's Album Quilt Top

This album style quilt top belonged to Susan and Henry Underwood of Baltimore, Maryland. The quilt top is composed of twenty-five 17½-inch blocks. Seventeen are signed or initialed by Underwood family members and friends associated with the Methodist Church.
Description
This album style quilt top belonged to Susan and Henry Underwood of Baltimore, Maryland. The quilt top is composed of twenty-five 17½-inch blocks. Seventeen are signed or initialed by Underwood family members and friends associated with the Methodist Church. Susan and Henry were married in the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore on August 5, 1830.
Album quilts, so popular in the mid-19th century, were frequently made by groups of women for presentation to a friend or relative upon a special occasion or as a token to honor a highly regarded member of the community. The blocks on this quilt top include traditional pieced and appliqued patterns, and original designs. One block is dated and inscribed: “I love to see the falling leaf/ To watch the waning moon/ I love to cherish the belief/ That all will change so soon/ Henry Johnson/Baltimore March 9th/ 1844."
The blocks or assembled quilt top were given to Susan and Henry, with Susan expected to finish the quilt. The top, never lined or quilted, was passed down through the family to the donor, Susan Underwood's great-granddaughter.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1844
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T15321
catalog number
T15321
accession number
293236

1850 - 1875 Fannie Gatewood Grimes's "Harvest Sun" Wool Quilt

Fannie Gatewood Grimes pieced nine 21-inch examples of the “Harvest Sun” pattern (also known as “Prairie Star” or “Star of Bethlehem”) to fashion this wool quilt in the third quarter of the nineteenth century.
Description
Fannie Gatewood Grimes pieced nine 21-inch examples of the “Harvest Sun” pattern (also known as “Prairie Star” or “Star of Bethlehem”) to fashion this wool quilt in the third quarter of the nineteenth century. In 1988 it was donated to the Smithsonian by her granddaughter, Mary Harding Renshaw.
The “Harvest Sun” blocks were pieced with wool fabrics and set with a 6-inch dark green wool sashing. Contributing to the overall design, the 3½-inch borders are made with the same red wool that was used as a background for the pieced blocks. The lining is black twill-woven cotton. The quilting patterns consist of outline and diagonal grid, quilted 7 stitches per inch.
Frances (Fannie) Price Gatewood was the daughter of Fielding Gatewood (1787-1833?) and Nancy Williams Gatewood (b. 1791). She was born March 22, 1822 in Logan County, Kentucky, one of four children. Fannie married James T. Grimes (about 1814–1869) on December 19, 1840. They lived in Logan County where James was a sheriff and a farmer. Of their eight children, two died in childhood. Family information described James as a tall, red-headed Irishman with a temper, and Fannie as liking nothing more than smoking a pipe filled with cherry leaves. On the 1880 census, Fannie is head-of-household, keeping house in Keysburg, Logan County, for her son and daughter, their spouses, a granddaughter and her mother, Nancy, age 89. Her son is listed as a leaf tobacco dealer and her son-in-law as a distiller. Fannie died on December 11, 1914, at age 92, and is buried in the Grimes Cemetery in Logan County.
In 1993, Fannie’s “Harvest Sun” wool quilt was reproduced under license to Cabin Creek, a West Virginian quilting cooperative and sold through the Land’s End Catalog. This was in response to an outcry by American quilters who were concerned about the sale of Chinese reproductions of American quilts from the Smithsonian Collection. The reproduction “Harvest Sun” quilt was made by American hand quilters with cotton fabrics that were purchased from American mills.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850-1875
maker
Grimes, Fannie Gatewood
ID Number
TE.T13540
catalog number
T13540
accession number
257664

1800 - 1825 Cornelia Townsend's Quilted and Stuffed Counterpane

Cordelia Townsend may have made this quilt or it may have just been in the family as it was donated by her great-grandchildren. Cordelia was born in 1799, married William Everett in 1817 at Goshen, N.Y.
Description
Cordelia Townsend may have made this quilt or it may have just been in the family as it was donated by her great-grandchildren. Cordelia was born in 1799, married William Everett in 1817 at Goshen, N.Y. She died in 1821.
The early 19th century counterpane is quilted and stuffed, with a center design of a flowering tree enclosed in an oval of feathered arcs. Beyond this are flowers, bunches of grapes, and an undulating row of long feathered leaves. A pomegranate in each corner and groups of curved leaves around the outer edge complete the quilt. The motifs are typical of this period. It has a cotton lining, filling and stuffing. The motifs are stuffed and outlined in quilting; the background is quilted in parallel lines 1/8-inch apart 8-9 stitches per inch. A white cotton tape binding is folded over edge and sewn with a running stitch through all layers. It is finished with 3" fringe on all sides.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800-1825
ID Number
TE.T10268
accession number
183386
catalog number
T10268

1880 - 1900 "Crazy-patchwork" Parlor Throw

Thirty 10-inch blocks were carefully crafted of velvet and plush fabrics to create this crazy-patchwork parlor throw. All types of velvets are represented; plain, cut, embossed, striped, silk with velvet stripes, and velvet ribbon. The effect is of a three-dimensional surface.
Description
Thirty 10-inch blocks were carefully crafted of velvet and plush fabrics to create this crazy-patchwork parlor throw. All types of velvets are represented; plain, cut, embossed, striped, silk with velvet stripes, and velvet ribbon. The effect is of a three-dimensional surface. Each block is constructed on a cotton foundation and enhanced with various embroidery stitches. The throw has a cotton fiber filling. The lining or backing fabric is a challis or delaine, roller-printed with a floral motif. The throw is bound on all sides with a straight strip of black silk satin fabric. The fabrics used in this piece represent the range of velvets and plushes (silk pile fabrics) available to the upper middle classes in America.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1880-1900
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T12601
accession number
220211
catalog number
T12601

quilt

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T08205
accession number
147894
catalog number
T08205

1800 - 1810 Rachel Woodrow's Whitework Quilt

According to family information, Rachel Woodrow crafted this example of a quilted and stuffed-work bedcover. Outlining the center is a meandering vine with baskets of flowers and vines. This is framed by a band of large quilted and stuffed diamonds.
Description
According to family information, Rachel Woodrow crafted this example of a quilted and stuffed-work bedcover. Outlining the center is a meandering vine with baskets of flowers and vines. This is framed by a band of large quilted and stuffed diamonds. A plain white border of diagonal grid quilting, 9 stitches per inch, completes the counterpane.
Little is known of Rachel Woodrow. Donor information says that she died in 1812 in the area of Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and is buried in that cemetery. The family information claims a relationship to Woodrow Wilson. Rachel’s legacy is a finely executed needlework example of the early 19th century.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800-1810
maker
Woodward, Rachel
ID Number
TE.T18281
catalog number
T18281
accession number
1977.0106

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

quilt

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1860
ID Number
TE.T08116
accession number
145004
catalog number
T08116

1840 - 1880 Elizabeth McEuen Smith's Indian Palampore

This whole-cloth quilt was made from an Indian palampore, about 1780, that according to the donor was given to Thomas Sully (1783-1872) by a woman whose portrait he had painted. An inscription written in ink on the palampore before it was lined and quilted states:“. . .
Description
This whole-cloth quilt was made from an Indian palampore, about 1780, that according to the donor was given to Thomas Sully (1783-1872) by a woman whose portrait he had painted. An inscription written in ink on the palampore before it was lined and quilted states:
“. . . Thomas Sully This Quilt was purchased 1736 of a Smuggler of East India goods in the Isle of White [sic], England (Belonging to my late friend Mifs Bradford. Elizabeth Smith Charleston.”
While the date in the inscription appears to be 1736, the design of the palampore is more typical of the latter half of the 18th century.
Thomas Sully painted Elizabeth McEuen Smith’s portrait in 1823 (now in the collection of the Honolulu Academy of Arts). He painted another of her sisters, Emily and Mary McEuen (Los Angeles County Museum of Art). Elizabeth was born in 1795 in Philadelphia, Pa. She married Charles Willis Smith in 1817. Elizabeth died in Georgetown, D.C., in 1839.
A small stamp, possibly an agent’s stamp in Tamil appears in the same area as the inscription. The palampore quilt top was both mordant-painted (a chemical process to fix a dye), dyed, and hand-painted, in Madras, India. It was probably quilted and lined in the mid-19th century.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1840-1880
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T13945
accession number
272175
catalog number
T13945

1870 - 1880 Betty West's "Nurse's" Quilt Top

Five 24-inch pieced 8-Pointed Star blocks and four Railroad Crossing blocks were constructed using 27 different printed cottons. This quilt top was made about 1879 by Betty West, who was employed by Leonides C.
Description
Five 24-inch pieced 8-Pointed Star blocks and four Railroad Crossing blocks were constructed using 27 different printed cottons. This quilt top was made about 1879 by Betty West, who was employed by Leonides C. Campbell and his wife, Mary, as a nurse for their children.
One of the children, Mary C. Watkins, wrote in 1939: “Betty West, our Negro nurse, made this quilt for my brother Kennedy and me. The many stitches made by stiff old fingers showes the real love she had for the two white children entrusted to her care. I treasured the quilt & have kept it all these years in loving memory of her.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1870-1880
maker
West, Betty
ID Number
TE.T17773.00A
accession number
315496
catalog number
T17773A

1875 - 1900 "Double Irish Chain" Pieced Quilt

Names for quilt pattern blocks change over time, by region, and as variations on traditional or classical block patterns develop.
Description
Names for quilt pattern blocks change over time, by region, and as variations on traditional or classical block patterns develop. On this quilt plain-woven red, green, and white cottons were used to create this version of the pattern, “Double Irish Chain.” All of the red and green pieces are 2-inches square. The 8 ½-inch border is edged with a red and green appliqued saw tooth strip. Feathered wreaths, quilted 9 stitches per inch, embellish the white squares and a feathered vine, the border. Diagonal grid quilting was used on the pieced chain. There is a 10-inch difference in width from top to bottom. The bright red and green of the pieced double chain effectively sets off the quilted blocks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1875-1900
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.E363156
accession number
117457
catalog number
E363156

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

1898 Rosina Kalanikauwekiulani Ayers's "Hawaiian Coat-of-Arms" Quilt

This neatly made example of a “Hawaiian Flag” quilt was presented to Rosina Kalanikauwekiulani Ayers on the occasion of her marriage to Dr. Robert Henry Dinegar in 1898.
Description
This neatly made example of a “Hawaiian Flag” quilt was presented to Rosina Kalanikauwekiulani Ayers on the occasion of her marriage to Dr. Robert Henry Dinegar in 1898. “Hawaiian Flag” quilts generally are not used, but rather are valued as a treasured heirloom and displayed as such or given to esteemed friends or family on significant occasions.
Although the Hawaiian flag first appeared in the early part of the nineteenth century, only later did the flag motif become characteristic of a distinct type of Hawaiian quilt. The design became popular after 1893 when the American settlers replaced the monarchy and Queen Lili‘uokalani abdicated the throne. Quilters incorporated the Hawaiian flag and coat-of-arms motifs on their quilts to honor their heritage and show loyalty to the Hawaiian nation and monarchy.
The four pieced Hawaiian flags on this quilt are arranged around appliquéd and embroidered details from the royal crown and coat-of-arms, including the two guardians of King Kamehameha I (1756-1819), the first king of Hawaii. “HAWAII PONOI / UA MAU KE EA O KA‘AINA IKA PONO” (THE LIFE OF THE LAND IS PERPETUATED BY RIGHTEOUSNESS) is appliquéd in the center. It is a motto that appears on the state seal and is attributed to King Kamehameha III (1813-1854). Quilting, typical of Hawaiian Flag quilts, consists of chevrons, diagonal lines, and grid on the flag sections, with echo quilting in the center.
Rosina Georgetta Kalanikauwekiulani Ayers (family name Manaku) was born January 12, 1877, in Lahaina, Maui. She was a descendent of King Kamehameha I, who established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. In 1898, Rosina married Robert Henry Dinegar (1870-1930) and they had two children. Robert Dinegar received his medical degree from New York University Medical College in 1892 and a few years later moved to the Hawaiian Islands as a government and plantation physician. Among other accomplishments, he is credited with reducing the death rate at plantations from a hundred a year to ten. In 1909 he moved his family to Albany, New York, where he continued to practice medicine. Robert died, age 59, in 1939 and Rosina died in May 1966. Her daughter, Adelaide McDonough, graciously donated her mother’s Hawaiian coat-of-arms quilt in 1978. Her note with the donation stated that her mother “. . . was always proud of her lineage & I know would be happy that these artifacts [her quilt] are in the Smithsonian Institution.”
Location
Currently on loan
date made
1898
maker
unknown
ID Number
TE.T18486
accession number
1978.0788
catalog number
T18486

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