Domestic Furnishings - Overview
Washboards, armchairs, lamps, and pots and pans may not seem to be museum pieces. But they are invaluable evidence of how most people lived day to day, last week or three centuries ago. The Museum's collections of domestic furnishings comprise more than 40,000 artifacts from American households. Large and small, they include four houses, roughly 800 pieces of furniture, fireplace equipment, spinning wheels, ceramics and glass, family portraits, and much more.
The Arthur and Edna Greenwood Collection contains more than 2,000 objects from New England households from colonial times to mid-1800s. From kitchens of the past, the collections hold some 3,300 artifacts, ranging from refrigerators to spatulas. The lighting devices alone number roughly 3,000 lamps, candleholders, and lanterns.
"Domestic Furnishings - Overview" showing 6 items.
1900 - 1915 Amish "Garden of Eden" Quilt
- Description
- Quilted in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania in the early twentieth century, this is an example of the “Garden of Eden” or “Economy Block” quilt pattern. A center of twenty pieced and plain 20-inch square blocks is framed by a “Chain Square” and two plain borders. Plain-colored cotton and wool fabrics and black quilting thread contribute to its quiet elegance.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1900-1915
- quilter
- unknown
- ID Number
- 1985.0029.01
- catalog number
- 1985.0029.01
- accession number
- 1985.0029
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
1900 - 1950 Amish "Path Through the Woods" Quilt
- Description
- Quilted in Topeka, Indiana, in the first half of the twentieth century, this is an example of the pattern referred to as “Path through the Woods.” Made of cottons, mainly solid colored tan and red, the blocks are framed by a 2¼-inch red inner border and a 6½-inch tan outer border. The quilt has a blue binding. It is both hand- and machine-pieced; the blocks are joined with machine stitching. An 8-pointed star is quilted in the center of each block. This is an instance of Amish quilting done outside of traditional Pennsylvania areas.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1900-1950
- quilter
- unknown
- ID Number
- 1985.0029.03
- catalog number
- 1985.0029.03
- accession number
- 1985.0029
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
1900 - 1925 Amish "Bars" Quilt
- Description
- Quilted in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in the early part of the twentieth century, this seemingly simple pattern of bars set in a contrasting color typifies Amish quilting. The center is composed of eleven burgundy and blue strips of wool-and-cotton fabric, which vary in width from 6 inches to 7-inches, set in a frame of blue. The corners of the border are mitered. The blue bars and borders are quilted in a cable pattern, and the burgundy bars in a chevron pattern. The skillful quilting is done with rose and blue cotton thread. It is a classic rendering of a traditional Amish pattern.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1900-1925
- quilter
- unknown
- ID Number
- 1985.0029.04
- catalog number
- 1985.0029.04
- accession number
- 1985.0029
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
1900 - 1925 Amish "Hanging Diamond" Quilt
- Description
- Quilted in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in the early twentieth century, this is a beautiful example of Amish quilting utilizing a traditional pattern. The dark red 25½-inch center diamond with a 3¾-inch purple border is set diagonally into a 46¼-inch square also with a 3¾-inch border. Framed by an outer 11¾-inch border, the quilt is finished with a wide contrasting binding of dark blue. The fabrics are mainly wool, wool-and-cotton, and some rayon. An 8-pointed star, feathered circles, vines, and scallops are motifs quilted with black cotton to complete this quilt.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- 1900-1925
- quilter
- unknown
- ID Number
- 1985.0029.05
- catalog number
- 1985.0029.05
- accession number
- 1985.0029
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
1900 - 1925 Amish "Crazy-patch Block" Quilt
- Description
- The maker of this Amish quilt, probably from Pennsylvania, effectively utilizes sixteen 8½-inch crazy-patched and embroidered blocks set diagonally to create this dramatic example. The crazy-patched blocks are contrasted with blue and framed within a 4½-inch light rose border with lavender corner squares and a 10-inch darker rose border. Pieces in the crazy-patch blocks are outlined with polychrome silk embroidery in herringbone, feather, buttonhole, thorn, cross, and double-cross stitches. The fabrics are wool and wool-and-cotton. The initials “AK” are embroidered on a corner of the lining. The controlled use of the crazy-patch aesthetic in this quilt gives it an ordered, focused appearance.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- Date made
- First quarter 20th century
- date made
- 1900-1925
- quilter
- unknown
- ID Number
- 1985.0029.06
- catalog number
- 1985.0029.06
- accession number
- 1985.0029
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
1890 - 1910 Swarey Family's Amish Quilt
- Description
- This Amish quilt was in the Swarey family and probably was made by Mrs. Swarey's grandmother, Mrs. Peachy. The Swarey family lived in Allenville, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, where the quilt was made in the late-nineteenth or early-twentieth century.
- Ten inch squares are set diagonally with ten-inch triangles filling in the edges to complete the center portion of this quilt. Nine of the squares are quilted in an 8-pointed star pattern; the other squares are quilted in a grid pattern. Clam-shell quilting is found on the triangles. A quilted leafy vine graces the border on three sides. The quilting is done with black cotton thread; the fabrics are wool/cotton. The quilter deftly uses four major colors and well placed quilted motifs to achieve the bold effect this quilt conveys.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1890-1910
- quilter
- Swarey family
- Mrs. Peachey
- ID Number
- TE*T18479
- accession number
- 1978.0674
- catalog number
- T18479
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center