This sample of handmade Chinese made cluny bobbin lace edging is labeled as costing “$.40 per yard in US gold” and is made of linen. It was acquired from the Amoy Lace Guild, Amoy (Xiamen), China, through Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Department of Commerce in 1913. The Amoy Lace Guild was established by missionaries in 1885 as a charitable organization to provide a source of income to indigent Chinese women and children. Patterns and linen thread was imported from England and Ireland. Lace from the Amoy Lace Guild won a silver medal at the St. Louis exposition in 1904. This handkerchief edging has flower motifs of leaves and braids
A flat silk embroidered doily or dresser scarf, named Japanese Chrysanthemum, adapted in the 1890’s from chrysanthemum patterns found in Needle and Hook produced by Belding Bros. & Co and Embroidery Lessons by Brainerd and Armstrong. Both were manufactures of silk thread, and each advertised as having the best silk. Made by Mrs. William (Emma Josephine) Bailey of Carroll or Lake City, Iowa. See pattern TE*T14423A.
Emma Josephine Rader was born December 15, 1863 to Levi and Ninon Rader in OH. She married in November 7, 1883 William W. Bailey in Lake City Iowa. They had three children- Mabel J, Arthur T. and Fay Margaret. She died February 4, 1941.
Benjamin Hausman, born March 2, 1799, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, wove this cotton and wool Jacquard double-woven coverlet for Jane Paul in 1841. His name and hers appear in the lower corners along with the date. The coverlet is Jacquard double-woven with floral medallions and stars, as the overall pattern, and with a border of trees and flowers. It has no center seam. Several members of the Hausman family were coverlet weavers in Pennsylvania in the 19th century. Benjamin worked in Allentown, Lehigh County, from 1836 to 1845, and in York, York County, from 1847 to 1848. He is listed as a coverlet weaver in the 1850 census of York, York County, Pennsylvania. He moved to Philadelphia in 1852 and in the 1862 Philadelphia Septennial Census he is listed as a weaver. He and his wife Sarah lived with their daughter and son-in-law in Philadelphia. He died c. 1869.
This blue and white, Jacquard, double-woven coverlet is made of cotton and wool. It features the “Bird of Paradise” pattern with floral and geometric borders on all four sides. It is woven in two sections, each thirty-nine inches wide. The sections were sewn together by hand. The date “AD 1842” is woven into all four corners with a stylized floral or carpet design cornerblock now known to be associated with the Auburn Prison Loom House and coverlet weaver, James Van Ness. The original owner was the donor’s father. He lived in Ontario County, New York. Coverlets could be commissioned by a man or a woman for use in the home. Being double-cloth, the coverlet was woven using two sets of warp and weft yarns. The blue yarn is indigo-dyed 2-ply S-twist, Z-Spun wool and the white yarns are 3-ply, S-twist, Z-spun cotton. The coverlet is made of two panels which were originally woven as one length.
Not much work has been done on prison weaving in the 19th century. Ralph S. Herre wrote a dissertation while at Penn State University entitled, "The History of Auburn Prison from the Beginning to about 1867." He confirmed that the prison did have a carpet weaving shop, sold to local customers, and even attempted to cultivate and manufacture silks. In American Coverlets and Their Weavers (2002), Clarita Anderson included an entry for a coverlet which had a family history of being from Auburn State Prison and dated 1835. Anderson pointed out that of the four confirmed Auburn State coverlets she had encountered most are Biederwand structure, not double weave. She attributed the coverlets to New York weaver, James Van Ness (1811-1872).
The two Auburn State Prison coverlets in the NMAH collection have a similar corner block organization but different motifs, suggesting the possibility that the individual(s) designing the point papers and cutting the cards for these coverlets were the same person, maybe even Van Ness. More research is needed to confirm Anderson's attribution. It could be, and likely was the case, that the prisoners were trained in coverlet and ingrain carpet weaving by a master weaver, perhaps even Van Ness. At the very least, ornate Fancy weave jacquard card sets were purchased by the prison with the express purpose of producing fancy weave coverlets for general consumption. Prisoners at Auburn State were organized in what became known as the Auburn- or Congregate-Style. Prisoners spent most of their time in isolation in their cells. They were released for work hours, six days a week. They walked silently to work, worked in silence, and lived in silence. This coverlet is a fascinating material glimpse into the culture and economics of prisons in the 19th century.
Baby's sacque style coat sample; William Skinner and Sons Sunbak fabric, 1951.
Cream colored and hand embroidered baby sacque coat made from Skinner trademark Sunbak double-faced fabric - viscose rayon twill face with wool serge with brushed (?) pile. Fabric made in 1951 in Holyoke, MA. Pink, white, blue, and green floral embroidery on the front only. at the nexk and center front corners at the hem. 2.25 inch by 2.25 inch embroidery at hem, 4.5 inch length of three floral pieces at neck. Blanket stitching in pink used to finish all edges. Face is turned down onto wrong side and whipstitched in place in white thread. Fabric is 66% rayon and 34% wool. The sacque is cut in one piece with serged side seams. There are no shoulder seams or armscye. Flared hem and straight center front line. Pink ribbon center front is hand stitched onto garment. Brown spot stains and light discoloration throughout. Was clearly cut using pen to mark the cutting and stitching lines as marks are still visible. Pen was also used to mark outline for embroidered areas. Long pencil marks also visible on front.
Point de France style needle lace panel with small three-dimensional needle lace motifs applied to the lace. The lace is symmetrical around the center axis.
Antoinette Comstock fashioned this cushion using a crazy-patched mat that was once used under vases or lamps. She backed it with red wool fabric, and edged it with tassels of wool yarn with silk floss overlay. Antoinette wrote: “The patchwork was an unfinished oblong and I made it into a small pillow or cushion. The silk cushions had been mats for valuable old vases [from] my own childhood [I] knew in our N.Y. City house.” A second cushion (TE.T15699) is also in the Collection. The two cushions are an example of refashioning a memento from the late 19th century for a different purpose in the early 20th century.
Antoinette Cole Comstock was born on February 18, 1883 in New York City. Her parents were Emily Cole (1853-1935) and Frederick Harmon Comstock (1853-1939).
Point de France needle lace in the style of the third quarter of 17th century. The dense floral motifs offer with much detail. It was possibly cut from a larger piece and made into a collar in 19th century. It matches TE.L7688 with both cut and left with a raw edge at the wide end. The lace is tapered and edged with a narrow (1/8 inch wide) bobbin lace edge with figure 8 gimp and picot edge.
Sample length of a Cheney Brothers "Venetian Velvet" furnishing fabric, 1913. Reproduction of Venetian velvet. Construction; pile weave, solid cut velvet. Yarns: Ground - cotton; Pile - probably artificial silk. Ground warp – tan, ground weft – tan, pile warp – green, very lustrous, no "scroop", suggesting it is artificial silk. Bright green solid cut pile on light brown ground that occasionally shows through in a subtle strie effect in the pile. (W. 52 in., L. 36 in.)
Triangular shawl, of black silk Chantilly bobbin lace. Mid 19th C. Design of various flower sprigs and bouquets surrounded by 'lace pattern' edgings and borders.
Three block alphabets. One script alphabet; no "J"; "V" and "U" reversed. Numbers to 9; all rows of alphabets, inscription, and verse separated by simple geometric crossbands. Two wider crossbands of birds, trees, plants, strawberries, flowers. Above alphabets, angular arcade with three angels (?). Lower third of sampler contains landscape with hillocks and strawberries, running stag and two dogs, shepherdess and sheep, three flowering trees, parrot and hummingbird. Border of free-style flowering vine across top and down both sides, with single row of marking cross along each side of border. Brown guidelines under free embroidery in landscape and border. Silk embroidery thread on linen ground. STITCHES: cross, marking cross, satin, French knot, tent, long-armed cross, outline, stem, chain, Roumanian, bullion. THREAD COUNT: warp 35, weft 38/in.
Inscription:
"ESTHer Tincom IS MY Name and England IS MY Nation Boston IS MY dwelling Place and Christ IS MY Salvation When I am dead and in my grave and all my bones are rotten When This You f[s]ee remember Me That I Mant be for 12 [gotten Do]ne in the 10 Year of MY age 3456789"
Background:
Information from the donor included the following: "brought from Boston, around the Horn in 1850 and William Patch saved the sampler from the San Francisco fire."
This sample of torchon bobbin lace has motifs with tallies, roseground and hearts. It was handmade at the Amoy Lace Guild in China and sold for twenty cents per yard in US gold. The Amoy Lace Guild was established by missionaries in 1885 as a charitable organization to provide a source of income to indigent Chinese women and children. Patterns and linen thread was imported from England and Ireland. Lace from the Amoy Lace Guild won a silver medal at the St. Louis exposition in 1904.