Fragment of a 6 harness, coverlet weave with cotton warp and blue and red wool filing. A portion of pattern suggesting pine tree pattern. According to Mary M. Atwater: one and one weave. Said by donor to be datable to around 1773.
Because of the donor, Mrs. Allen's, importance in teaching and preserving early handweaving, and the use of materials she collected in books on the subject, NMAH should keep the fragments she donated in the collection, as part of the national woven coverlet collection.
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.
Double weave, Geometric pattern; indigo blue wool and white 2-ply cotton. Pattern: Puritan Maiden or Lisbon Star. Similar to Speck's #14. 19th century (1st half) U.S. handwoven
This blue and white, Figured and Fancy double-cloth Craig family medallion coverlet features a carpet centerfield with bell flower border along the top and bottom and willow and floral side borders. Dated 1852, the building with cupola cornerblock helps identify this coverlet as a product of the Craig Family of Decatur County, Indiana. This coverlet shows a lot of wear and is badly damaged along the top and bottom borders.
The Craig Family weavers consist of Scottish-born, William Craig, Sr. (1800-1880), Scottish-born cousin, James Craig (1819-1896), William Craig, Jr. (1824-1880), and James Craig (1823-1889) make up the two generations of weavers who intermarried with other Scottish immigrant weaving families, dominating the coverlet market in Floyd, Decatur, and Washington counties in Indiana. It is almost certain that their regional influence extended into Western Kentucky as well. The Craigs were prodigious weavers and entrepreneurs and the number of extant coverlets attest to this fact. Also of interest is a published interview with William Sr.'s granddaughter, Rena Craig Gilchrist found in Indiana Coverlets and Coverlet Weavers (1928) by Kate Milner Rabb. Rena Craig Gilchrist recounted how her grandfather was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland in 1800, moving to South Carolina in 1820 to assume the role of foreman at a Southern cotton goods factory. In 1832 the Craigs and other immigrant weaving families, the Gilchrists and Youngs moved to Mt. Caramel, Indiana. In 1838, the family moved again, further distributing weavers, to Decatur County, Indiana. The Craigs at first wove on their farm just outside of Greensburg, Indiana, but soon sons William Jr. and James ventured out on their own, marrying other weaver’s daughters, and establishing workshops in Greensburg and Anderson. Their coverlet weaving became regionally famous and people were reported as having come from fifty to sixty miles by wagon with woolen yarn for enough coverlets for each child at marriage.
The Craigs continued to weave until 1860 when William Sr. retired. Cousin James opened a shop in Canton, Indiana. A local resident described his loom as," “different from any other loom I have ever seen in that the threads of the warp were each run through a loop of cords to which were attached leaden weights about the size of an ordinary lead pencil, and I should think from twelve to fifteen inches in length. I do not remember accurately about that. The other end of each cord was attached to a pedal, of which there was a considerable number. A number of cords may have been attached to a pedal, according to the colors and figures being used. This enabled him to depress any of the threads of the warp that he pleased by operating the pedals with his feet, thus opening a space for the passing of the shuttle, of which he used as many as he wished colors in the pattern.” This description suggests that members of the Craig family were using modified drawlooms, possibly what is sometimes referred to a Scotch loom, which was used to weave figured double-cloth ingrain carpet. This is interesting because the introduction of the Jacquard head attachment, which used chains of punch cards, made figured weaving much faster and cheaper in the decades before the Craig family’s foray into coverlet weaving.
This red and blue, cotton and wool, overshot coverlet was woven in Pennsylvania in a variation of the "Monks belt" pattern. This coverlet was likely woven in the mid-nineteenth century in Pennsylvania. There is a red, crocheted fringe along all four sides of the coverlet which is probably a later decorative addition. The fringe was attached with cotton sewing thread. The coverlet was used in the study of Dr. Chevalier Lawrence Jackson (1865-1858) of the Philadelphia area, until he died in 1957. Dr. Jackson was a pioneer of laryngology and is commonly referred to as the father of endoscopy. Jackson was born in the Pittsburg area and practiced and taught medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia. The coverlet is constructed of two panels, woven as one length, cut, and seamed to create the finished width. The coverlet measures 79.25 inches by 54.75 inches.
The date 1852, and a large single star, surrounded by 24 smaller stars, appears in the two lower cornerblocks of this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet. The overall pattern consists of stylized floral forms in medallion form, with a dotted ground. There are two borders present. The lower border is a meandering grapevine, and the side borders feature stylized Gothic buildings and flower baskets. There is a fringe along the lower edge. The star surrounded by stars is believed to be the mark of weaver Samuel Stinger of Indiana and Ohio. Samuel Stringer was born January 22, 1801, in Pennsylvania. He married ca. 1824 Christina Lindermood in Ohio. In 1835 he moved to Indiana. He died February 11, 1879, in Carthage, Rush Co. IN.
This brown and white, overshot coverlet has been separated into its two panels. Whether this is due to use or because of early-20th-century Colonial Revival repurposing as portieres or curtains is unknown. The pattern is a variation of a pattern known as “Granite State.” Each panel measures 102 inches by 42 inches, making the whole coverlet measure 102 inches by 84 inches. There is no evidence of fringe and the top and bottom edges are hemmed. The coverlet is composed of a linen warp, cotton ground weft, and brown wool, supplementary pattern weft. The use of linen in the warp indicates a likely late-eighteenth-century manufacture date as industrially-spun cotton was not strong enough to be used in the warp until the start of the nineteenth century. There is evidence in the accession file to suggest that this coverlet was made and passed down through the Babcock family of Rhode Island, but more research is needed to confirm the attribution.
New York weaver, James Van Ness, Jr. (1811-1872) or possibly the prisoners working at the loomhouse of Auburn State Prison in Cayuga County, New York wove this blue and white, double-cloth, Figured and Fancy coverlet. The centerfield pattern is composed of horizontal rows of scalloped carpet medallions. Around those can be found the “Birds of Paradise” pattern. The side borders feature foliate and floral motifs within cartouches. The lower border continues this arrangement in a slightly different variation. The cornerblocks name the overall pattern, “Birds of Paradise” and feature a trademark similar to the ones used by Van Ness and Auburn State Prison’s loom house. There is fringe along the bottom border. The coverlet was construced of two panels seamed down the middle. Each section is 41 inches wide. The coverlet measures 85 inches by 82 inches. Emailine Rich Hammond, an ancestor of the donors, originally owned this coverlet circa 1845. Van Ness was the son of another professional weaver of the same name. Van Ness wove in Columbia and Wayne Counties, New York. He is often cited as possibly being one of the weavers hired to train the prisoners and set up the looms at Auburn State Prison, but more research is needed to confirm this. In 1862, Van Ness and his family moved to Michigan. Van Ness was tragically killed by a falling limb in Michigan while helping a neighbor fight a forest fire.
Harry Tyler (1801-1858) wove this blue and white, double cloth coverlet in 1858. The coverlet has no fringe and measures 94 inches by 84 inches and is made up of two panels with a center seam. There is a large central medallion composed of a starburst and floral design. Beyond that, but still inside the centerfield are stylized floral designs with blooms, buds, and a bird perched in each of the four corners. The four-sided border is composed of gadrooned bowls on stands filled with fruit and flowers. The cornerblocks feature a Great Seal Eagle with a banderole depicting the motto, “E. Pluribus Unum.” The coverlet features the inscription, “1858/ Marjery L. Emerson/ Jefferson Co. NY” in each of the four corners.
Tyler was born in Connecticut, moving to New York sometime around 1834. Harry Tyler married three times to Anne Cole, Harriet A. Dye, and Mary A. Tyler. His son with Anne, Elman Tyler (1829-1909) was also a coverlet weaver and wove coverlets in the same pattern as his father even after Harry’s death in 1858. This coverlet is either one of Harry Tyler’s last coverlets or one that his son wove. The details of Harry Tyler’s life are a bit of a mystery. There are over 300 coverlets attributed to Tyler, but very little documentary evidence of his business activity or life. The Jefferson County Historical Society is fortunate to have over 40 Harry Tyler coverlets in its collection. They also included this information about the death of Harry Tyler, which has evaded scholars for decades. Harry Tyler died August 22,1858 at the age of 57 after suffering a stroke and is buried in Smithville Cemetery, Jefferson County, New York.
This overshot, indigo and white coverlet (now separated into two panels) is woven in the "Catalpa Flower" pattern. Overshot patterning is based on a float weave structure, where a supplementary weft yarn is added to create the pattern. The yarn floats or shoots over the top of the plain weave ground cloth creating the pattern. The pattern is a reversible negative, meaning that the color combination is reversed on the opposite side. Overshot coverlets can be woven on simple four-shaft looms. They are usually associated with domestic production and many of them are attributed to female weavers. Professional male weavers also wove floatwork coverlets. Many overshot patterns have names; however, these names changed and varied due to time and location. According to the donor, this coverlet descended through the Van Meter family of New York and was likely woven in the first half of the nineteenth century by a female ancestor. The two coverlet panels would have been joined with a center seam. These panels were repurposed during the early 20th century Colonial Revival decorating period and used as portieres in the Van Meter home. Each of the two panels measures 75 inches by 35.25 inches.
This Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet was woven from two sets of wool and cotton warps and wefts in 1839 in Western New York. The coverlet measures eighty-two inches by seventy-six inches and is made up of two sections seamed in the center. There is fringe on three sides. The side and bottom borders feature confronted, eagles from The Great Seal of the United States and willow trees. Between the eagles and willow appears a stylized tulip flanked by two small peacocks. The centerfield is composed of floral medallions in the "Double Lily" of “Lilies of France” pattern combined with eight-pointed starbursts. This centerfield design is reflective of medallion patterns commonly found on carpets and of the fact that these weavers wove not only coverlets but also ingrain carpets. It is believed that the coverlet was commissioned either by or for the donor's great-great grandmother Mary Cooke, and family legend holds that she may have spun the wool yarns for this coverlet. Her name and the date 1839 appear in the lower cornerblocks. Although there are several Mary Cooks in Erie County near Spadina, NY in the 1840 census, it is likely that the Mary Cook named on the coverlet is Mary Graves Cook (1792-1871). A genealogical link to the donor has not yet been able to be established and more research is required to definitively link the donor with this particular Mary Cook. Clarita Anderson's American Coverlets and Their Weavers lists no as-of-yet identified weavers associated with Erie County, NY, however there are several in neighboring counties. More research into the recorded occupations of the county's residents is required to help narrow down and hopefully identify a maker. The border pattern is nearly identical to those used by coverlet weaver and loom patent holder, Jonathan Conger ((1801-1867) of Chemung and Tompkins Counties, New York. The “Eagle and Willow” border and “Lilies of France” centerfields were incredibly common patterns, so a Conger attribution may be premature at this time.
According to the donor, a man named Wegley or Wigley wove this red, white, and blue, geometric double-cloth coverlet for a Mrs. Umbarger in Berlin, Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1846. Mrs. Umbarger had the coverlet woven for her son, Perry Umbarger (b. 1834). Clarita Anderson’s research revealed that there was a family of weavers in Somerset County active during the timeframe named, Weigley, and it is these men, John and his sons, Lewis (1810-1885) and Seth, who were the likely weavers of this coverlet. This pattern depicted here is most commonly known as “Sorrel Blossom” but the accession file also suggested “Lover’s Chain” and “Potato Blossom” as alternative names. Many of these pattern names have changed over time and place. Many German-American weaving pattern books never name the geometric block-weaving patterns at all, but simply number them. This coverlet has two sets of warp and weft made from 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun wool and cotton yarns. There are self-fringes on three sides of the coverlet. The coverlet measures 80 inches by 69 inches and is constructed from two panels.
Charles Fehr coverlet; jacquard-woven, 4-1 tied beiderwand, single cloth. Featuring "Double Large Leaf" carpet medallions, double flower border flanked by a thin Greek Key tracery and Double Helix tracery, and incribled corner blocks; wool and cotton; Emmaus, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania; 1845. Jacquard, red, white, blue & green single cloth 4-1 tied beiderwand structure, fringe on 3 sides. 1. (border) tracery and double flowers 2. (center) double leaf & flower tiles. The corner block contains the inscription "MADE.BY./C.FEHR./IN.EMAUS/FOR./1845." There seems to be a space left for the insertion of a customer name. Perhaps Charles Fehr wove this coverlet for his own household? Not much is known about Charles Fehr's life dates. His brothers Thomas born c. 1815 and Abraham born c. 1822 were also weavers with similar corner block organization. The Fehr brothers paired up with one another and with another weaver, last name Keck. With more research, NMAH was able to determine that these brothers and a neighbor, Daniel Keck were among the very first congregants for a newly organized Christian demonimation based on German Methodism and pietism called the Evangleical Association, which was formed in Charles house in 1839. This group was persecuted by the local Moravian and Lutheran communities. Newspaper accounts recall rotten eggs being hurled into Charles' house at one such meeting. The proxmintiy and similar religious inclinations of Charles Fehr and Daniel Keck have led curatorial staff at NMAH to attribute the previously unknown Mr. Keck and Mr. Fehr of Fehr and Keck weavers to Charles and Daniel. Charles was an active weaver with dated coverlets from 1836-1845. Fehr and Keck have extant coverlets dated 1842-1848. These overlapping dates suggest an interesting business dynamic taking place in Lehigh County where weavers entered into partnerships but still wove under their own names at times. More research is needed to determine which Charles Fehr is the correct one. There are no less than five in the area during the appropriate timeframe.
This is a red and white, geometric double-woven coverlet woven from two sets of cotton and red wool warp and wefts. The upper edge is hemmed with 2- ply s twist white cotton. The lower edge has a knotted self fringe, which has sustained some damaged. Three of the four sides of the coverlet have a deep border featuring a linear design. The borders measure 5.5 inches on three sides and 3.5 inches along the top edge. The coverlet is in good condition. The donor stated that this coverlet was woven by his great-grandmother in the first half of the nineteenth century in Hillsboro, Loudon County, Virginia. More research is needed to determine which of his great-grandmothers may have woven it as there was no specification as to whether this grandparent was from the paternal or maternal lines. Although family lore holds that this coverlet was woven by a grandmother, the nature of geometric double-cloth weaving in the early nineteenth century likely meant that this coverlet was woven by a male, professional weaver.
Geometric double-cloth patterns are based on what is known as block weaving which was developed in the sixteenth century in the German States of the Holy Roman Empire and spread quickly throughout Europe and into America. Traditionally used for damask linen weaving, American weavers would expand these patterns creating geometric double-cloth coverlets like the one seen here.
William Henry Harrison Rose (1839-1913), better known as Weaver Rose, of Kingston, Rhode Island wove this brown, red, and white overshot coverlet in “Governor’ Garden” pattern variation. Mrs. Minnie Kolbe Curtice purchased the coverlet and a pillow cover (T.10271) from his weaving workshop in 1903 for five dollars. The coverlet measures 81 inches by 72 inches and was constructed from two panels. Rose and his sister were among a handful of handloom weavers still weaving at the turn of the twentieth century. Handicraft Revival pioneers like Marguerite Davison collected traditional patterns from the Rose siblings as well as the women of Southern Appalachia and launched the handloom weaving revival that still exists to this day.
According to the donor of this coverlet, it first belonged to Mrs. Ferdinand O’Neal, who lived just outside Zanesville, Ohio. Her maiden name is believed to have been Wheeler, and in about 1863 she married Mr. O’Neal and moved to a home outside of Zanesville, known as “Greenwood.” Mrs. O’Neal passed the coverlet on to her daughter Marcella O’Neal, who passed it on to Martha Margaret O’Neal. The coverlet is made entirely of wool, and was probably woven between 1840 and 1860. It is an overshot weave, seamed together from two pieces. The pattern, of concentric circles linked by small squares giving the effect of a diagonal grid, is similar to one known as “Cup and Saucer.” The weaver is unknown.
According to the donor, this overshot, black, white, and purple coverlet was woven by enslaved weavers on her family’s plantation, Saxon Plantation in Laurens, South Carolina. The donor recalled that her mother, who was born in 1898, had visited the plantation as a child. Further research has cast doubt on this family memory. The coverlet was woven in three panels, each measuring 25 inches wide and 96 inches long. The entire coverlet measures 96 inches by 75 inches. Each section is sewn together by hand with a yarn that appears heavier than the warp and of slightly darker color. The top and bottom hems are rolled under and stitched by hand with sewing thread. This coverlet was probably woven on a 4-shaft loom. There is an all-over pattern consisting of circular shapes and tables; each design possessing its own color which accentuates the pattern breaks. The pattern repeat is 2.5 inches, and the yarn count is 36 ends per inch by 18 shots per inch. The pattern itself closely resembles a wheel variation found in Atwater's Shuttle Craft Book of American Hand-Weaving. Further research suggests that the coverlet was actually woven after the Civil War, in a small weaving concern operated by Mack and Caroline Saxon, emancipated slaves who purchased land, eventually owning several hundred acres, and establishing a thriving community of workshops, in Laurens, SC. The purple yarn has been tested and is an aniline dye, not invented until 1856 and not in general use, especially outside industrial areas, until after the Civil War.
In his book, Black Blue Bloods: Legacy of an African-American Plantation Owner, Christopher Emil Williams tells the story of Mack Saxon (1843-1915) and his wife, Caroline Saxon (1845-1910). According to Williams, Mack and Caroline were, “freed slaves who owned a 575-acre plantation in the 1800s, off what is now Interstate 385, between Greenville and Laurens counties. Mack Saxon, he says, bought additional land in Laurens, Greenville and Mauldin, bringing his land total up to about 700 acres.” Mack and Caroline not only bought land, they created jobs for friends and relatives. It is therefore likely that rather than being woven by an enslaved weaver; this coverlet was woven by a emancipated weaver.
This coverlet panel represents one half of a completed Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet. Members of the Craig family wove this coverlet in 1847 in Decatur County, Indiana. The centerfield features a lattice created by a combination of square, stylized floral rosettes, berries and lotus-like flowers, and Great Seal Eagle. The incorporation of the woven inscription, “LIBERTY” helps to tie the design together. In the lattice openings are alternating bands of “Double Lotus” and “Double Bellflower” patterns. Both of these patterns are variations of the more traditional “Double Rose” and “Lilies of France” patterns. The top and bottom borders feature the Craig family signature “Bellflower and Bluebell” border. The side border combines the “Peacock Feeding its Young” motif with oversized urns and domed buildings. The cornerblocks are the traditional Craig family trademark—the dated courthouse with cupola.
This panel measures 83x36 inches and would have been one of two. There is evidence of self-fringe along the top and bottom edges although this just as likely could be unravelling due to the rolled hems coming loose with time. The double-cloth structure requires two sets of warps and wefts. 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun cotton yarns and 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun wool yarns were used in alternation combination to create this coverlet.
The donor received this coverlet panel from her grandmother, Courtney McCoy Kanouse (1850-1934). The other panel went to a sister and is now likely in the collection of Hanover College, Indiana as they possess an identical panel, but more research is needed to confirm this. Courtney and her husband, John R. Kanouse (1843-1909) were, at the time of his death, among the wealthiest citizens in Decatur County, Indiana. John operated a general store in the villages of St. Omer and St. Paul and owned land in northern Adams Township. The Kanouse land neighbored the holdings of wealthy farmer and Kentucky native, Isaiah McCoy (1814-1909), Mary’s father. It is this close proximity that likely led to their marriage in 1871. The life dates and marriage date of Courtney and John are curious when compared to the 1847 date on the coverlet panel. Parents often ordered coverlets in groups for their children and is likely the case with this coverlet. Isaiah and his wife, Mary Short (1816-1891) were married in 1838. In the 1850 Federal Census the couple was listed as having five children—John, Nancy, Benjamin, Eliza, and Julia. Courtney, aged ten, and sister, Armonda, aged six, both appear for the first time in the 1860 Federal Census.
This leaves a few options open for the coverlet’s commission. The first possibility is that Isaiah and Mary McCoy commissioned a group of coverlets for their children in 1847, the oldest of whom, John would have been eight-years-old. A second possibility is that the coverlet was passed down through the Kanouse family and could possibly commemorate the marriage of John R, Kanouse’s parents, who due to variations in the surname spelling, have not yet been identified. However, we do know that John was born in Decatur County, Indiana, but more research is needed to follow this lead. Whatever the case, we are able to better understand the types of customer’s for whom a coverlet weaver would be working.
This all-white, cotton, overshot coverlet contains a woven inscription which reads, "1811 M.F.” The coverlet has a plain weave ground, with one pattern weft inserted between each ground weft. The coverlet is made of two panels, woven as one length, cut, and sewn together. It appears to have a hemmed upper edge, with applied fringe on both sides and the lower edge. The thread count is 28 warp ends x 32 weft ends per inch. The coverlet measures 80 inches by 71.75 inches. It was likely woven by a New England woman for use in her home.
This blue and white, Summer-and-Winter coverlet features a block woven, geometric design throughout based on variations of “Snowball” and “Rose and Star” patterns. The coverlet has a “Pine Tree” variation border on three sides. The border designs on geometric, block-woven coverlets are created from fractional reductions of the block pattern motifs. This coverlet uses two different block pattern designs. The block pattern repeat measures 5 inches by 5 inches. There is a relatively long, knotted applied fringe on two sides of coverlet. It is believed this fringe was added much later. One edge is unfinished, the other is hand hemmed. The coverlet was woven in two pieces and seamed up the middle with whip stitch. There is no information about who may have made this coverlet or where is originally was used. These patterns and style of coverlet could be found all along the East Coast and were woven by English, German, and Scots-Irish settlers. This coverlet was likely woven anytime between the years, 1790-1830 because of the use of mill-spun cotton yarn in the warp and weft.