This coverlet features a large central rose medallion with starburst at the center surrounded by an ivy garland. A triangle-motif section rings this followed by a wide border of roses and foliate designs. There are bouquets of flowers in each corner. This coverlet is double cloth, but the weave is unbalanced. The colored wool weft yards are loosely twisted 2-ply, s-twist, z-spun in red, green, blue, and purple, and the white cotton singles are z-spun. There is also a cotton drab warp of z-spun singles and white cotton z-spun singles. The weaver tripled these singles in the warp and wove them as one. There is a self-fringe on 2 sides, and an applied woven fringe in wool weft colors stitched to lower edge. The coverlet was purchased by the donor’s mother sometime in the late nineteenth century. She lived in Newport, Maine and kept the coverlet sealed in a trunk until 1913 when it was gifted to her daughters. It is likely that Mrs. Grindell purchased the coverlet while visiting Philadelphia for the Centennial Exposition. Coverlets in this style and color combination were sold at the Expo, and coverlets with horizontal color banding have been associated with Pennsylvania or Pennsylvania-trained weavers throughout the nineteenth century. The colors used to dye the wool are synthetic dyes that became popular during the 1860s onward, lending more credence to the dating of these coverlet c. 1870-1880. There is no center seam and the design, although bold, lacks the refinement of earlier, hand-woven coverlets, suggesting fully-industrialized, power-loom, factory production.
Found in a trunk in Massachusetts, on either the MacGuire or Fowler homestead, this quilt is composed of 11-inch “LeMoyne Star” pattern blocks. The 19 pieced blocks and one Nine-Patch block are set diagonally with 11-inch squares of glazed printed cotton. Attached to the sides and bottom of the quilt are gathered flounces 25 ¼ inches long (included in overall measurements) made of the same glazed roller-printed cotton used for the plain squares.
The fabrics are plain-woven roller-printed cottons: floral, plaid, checked, striped, and dotted. Six patches are made of bolt-ends with large black stamped numbers and letters. The lining is composed of two lengths of plain-woven cream colored cotton. Cotton was used for the filling, and it is quilted 7 stitches per inch. No separate binding except at corner cutouts where a bias strip of printed cotton binds the inside curve. Front and lining are turned in and stitched, the flounces are sewn to the front layer.
The star motif was and is a popular quilting design. This mid-nineteenth century quilt is an example of the traditional “LeMoyne Star” pattern and bed furnishing design.
Fans, butterflies, flowers, and many other motifs typical of the crazy-patch quilt era adorn this parlor throw. A wide array of fabrics available in the late 19th century for crazy-patch needlework is represented. Silks that are plain, printed, ribbed, pattern-woven, striped, brocaded, and plaid, as well as satins, velvet, taffeta, and ribbon are all combined to create this vivid example. Fancy stitches (herringbone, feather, detached chain, satin, French knot, stem) secure the patches. Originally an unfinished top, it was backed over a half century later with a machine-quilted gold satin, and a silk border was added to complete it.
Elizabeth Fenton was born in 1830 in Pennsylvania. She later moved to Washington D.C., and in 1851 married Benjamin Franklin Darley (1826-1884). They had four children. Elizabeth Darley died in 1890 and is buried in Congressional Cemetery, Washington D.C.
The donor of the parlor throw finished it in the 1960s as a favor to her friend, Mrs. Mae Glover of Norwalk, Conn. Mrs. Glover, born about 1890, noted that the quilt top was made by her grandmother, Mrs. Benjamin Franklin Darley, and “regretted that the quilt had never been finished.” As it remained unfinished and unused for so many years the crazy-patch fabrics are in excellent condition.
Crazy-patched square and rectangular blocks were assembled to make Orrie Little’s Parlor Throw. The four corner blocks are made entirely of ribbons. A variety of silks, satins and velvets were used for the other blocks. The lining is a brown-and-black stripe printed fabric. The binding is made of 12 different ¾-inch ribbons, seamed to the lining and whip-stitched to the front. Embroidery is used to embellish the edges of the patches and along the bound edge.
Information given with the donation suggested a possible maker as the grandmother of the donor, Julia E. Harris Little of Hampton, New Hampshire (1828 – 1875). More likely the maker was Orrie Belle Little, Julia’s daughter and the donor’s mother. Orrie was born March 18, 1858 in Hampstead, New Hampshire. She taught music before marrying Edwin S. Pressey in 1887. He was a Congregational minister and they had two children: Sidney and Julia (donor). The variety of fabrics and the examples of embroidery stitches (herringbone, chain, feather, straight, detached chain, and, seed) make it a nice example of fancy needlework at the end of the 19th century.
This bedcover, no filling or quilting, has over 100 eight-inch blocks pieced in the “LeMoyne Star” pattern. An assortment of roller-printed cottons (florals, geometrics, and plaids) are set off with white pieces. The lining is composed of four lengths of plain-woven roller-printed cotton. The binding is a ¾-inch woven striped cotton tape folded over edge, sewn with a running stitch through all layers. The variety of printed cottons used for the stars and the star motif make this mid-nineteenth century bedcover a typical example of the period.
One particular fabric among the many on this quilt is a cotton, block-printed in blue, rust, and dark brown. It is a Lord Nelson commemorative print with "SACRED TO NELSON" printed on a monument. It is printed from a 10 ½-inch wood block. Nelson commemoratives were printed very soon after his death in 1806, but this appears to be a later version, c. 1830, because of the dyes used. Other fabrics are roller-printed cotton florals and geometrics, some in several colorways. The lining consists of three lengths of plain-woven ivory cotton. The binding (finished) is a straight strip of printed cotton seamed to the front, whipped to the lining. This pieced quilt consists of alternating 5 ¾-inch pieced blocks made of 4 equal triangles and 5 ¾-inch plain blocks made of printed cottons. The variety of fabrics makes this a vibrant quilt example of the period.
According to family tradition, Sarah Pendleton appliqued this crib cover in the 1850s. The motifs, both block-printed and roller-printed, are mainly floral with one bird. A herringbone stitch was used to attach the motifs. A plain white cotton fabric was used for the lining. A 5 ½-inch machine embroidered mesh and ball fringe completes the counterpane.
Sarah E. Neil was born at Belize, Louisiana, May 21, 1837. The daughter of William and Ellen Neil. She married William E. Pendleton (1824-1901) on December 8, 1856. They had seven children, but only three attained adulthood. Sarah died December 5, 1898.
Deep red and blue 11-inch squares were set diagonally, checkerboard fashion, to create this example of an early 19th century wool quilt. Each square is quilted with a floral or geometric motif. In total twenty-two different patterns, quilted 6 stitches per inch, were used.
Lucy Addison was born in New Hampshire about 1808 or 1809 and married John Shepherd (or Shepard) in 1833. The quilt may have been made in New Hampshire, but according to censuses, after they were married they lived in Phillipston, Worcester County, Massachusetts, the rest of their lives. They had one son, Timothy Addison Shepherd, born in 1836, and it was his descendent, a great-grandson of Lucy and John, who donated the quilt in 1964.
This white and blue, geometric, double-cloth coverlet features a “Nine Snowball” pattern centerfield and “Pine Tree” border. These patterns were developed in the German States of the Holy Roman Empire at the end of the seventeenth century and were initially used in damask linen weaving on a much smaller scale. Several German weavers published books during the Early Modern period, and they were translated into numerous languages and this style of block weaving, as it is known, spread across Europe. Immigrant weavers brought these structures and patterns to the United States, increased the scale of the patterns, and wove them as double cloth both for coverlets and ingrain carpet. This coverlet panel was initially woven as one length, cut, folded back on itself, and seamed up the middle to create the finished coverlet. The coverlet panel measures 78 inches by 69.75 inches. The “Pine Tree” borders found along three sides were created from fractional reduction of the main block patterning. While women were fully capable of weaving overshot and summer and winter coverlets on their own simple looms, many of the geometric double loom patterns required looms with multiple shafts and are traditionally associated with male, professional weavers. There is no information about who may have woven this coverlet or where it may have come from. Double cloth requires the use of two sets of warp and weft that exchange places, binding what would otherwise be two separate pieces of plain weave fabric and creating the color contrasting design. The white cotton yarns are all 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun and the indigo-dyed wool yarns are all 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun as well. According to the accession file, this coverlet was woven between 1800 and 1825. The donor believes that Priscilla and Sarah Furbee, grandmother and aunt of her husband John Kinder, carded, dyed the yarn used in this coverlet, and wove it as well. See the hand written note on an envelope in the accession file.
Using an elaborate silk quilt, such as this hexagon example, in the parlor gave the accomplished needlewoman an opportunity to show off her work. This unknown maker displayed both her design and needlework skills as evidenced in the intricate pieced work, embroidery, and quilting on both quilts which were combined to make one.
The large star shapes on the top quilt are composed of 1-3/8-inch silk hexagons. Each shape is contained within a ring of black hexagons, further set off by another circle of stars made of 5/8-inch diamonds. In contrast, the center focus is a rose, embroidered in chenille yarn, on black velvet. This is echoed by the 4-1/2-inch black velvet border embroidered in a rosebud vine pattern. It is completed with a cotton filling and red cotton lining, and quilted with outline stitching on the hexagons and diamonds.
A second quilt is made of red silk with cotton filling and a printed cotton lining. It too is quilted, using red silk thread, in diagonal grid, feather plume, and circle quilting patterns. The quilting on both is 14 to 15 stitches per inch. The two complete quilts are stitched together around the edges and finished with a green binding.
The fine quilting, the use of a variety of silks and velvets, and the intricate work all contribute to this impressive example of needlecraft from the later part of the 19th century.
This is a blue and white, double-cloth, Figured and Fancy coverlet features along fringe three sides, and a spread eagle lower border. The center design is variation of the “Double Rose” carpet medallion pattern with ivy leaf accents. The side borders display an interlocking “Double Flower” motif that is reminiscent of lotus flowers. The two lower corner blocks feature pairs of dogs and a woven inscription which reads, "1831 EAW/ Pompey." There is a four inch self-fringe on the lower edge and an applied fringe on the sides that is also four inches long. The coverlet was constructed of two panels that were woven as one length, cut, and seamed up the middle.
This coverlet was woven in Pompey, Onondaga County, New York in 1831. There has been some scholarly debate about who the Pompey weaver(s) may have been. At first scholars looked for a weaver with the last name Pompey, but they quickly realized the weaver was operating in the town of Pompey. There are extant dated coverlets in this style ranging from 1831-1836. There three coverlet weavers in Pompey at the time. Benjamin June and his son, Benjamin Jr. and Henry L. Goodrich. All three of these weavers could possibly be the maker of this and the other Pompey coverlets; however, the signed June family coverlets omit the town name from their designs, leaving Goodrich the most likely candidate. Federal census records list Henry as a resident of Rensselaer County, New York in 1830 and 1840, but occupation was not a recorded category in the early census. It is unclear when and why Henry spent time in Onondaga County and more research is needed to unravel the mystery and confirm or deny the attribution of these coverlets to Goodrich. The style of this coverlet is reflective the organization, arrangement, and style of the earlier Figured and Fancy coverlets foun
Matilda Whisler appliquéd this variation of the “Whig Rose” pattern in the mid-19th century. She accentuated the pattern with outline quilting on all of the appliquéd motifs. Quilted feathered plumes (“Princess Feather”), diagonal lines ¼-inch apart, and clamshells on the outer edges further enhance the design. Finely quilted at 7-10 stitches per inch, hers is a typical example of the red and green quilts popular in that period.
Matilda Kramer was born in Frederick County, Va., on 18 March 1817. She married Henry Whisler, a native of Rockingham County, Va., in 1818. According to census information, they lived in Rockingham County and had three daughters and a son. Henry was a shoemaker. His son, Cambias (1846-1909) followed his father in the shoemaking trade. Henry died in 1885, and Matilda on 15 September 1898. Both are buried in Trissell’s Mennonite Church Cemetery in Rockingham County.
In 1942, the donor, one of Matilda’s daughters, wrote: “In 1861 my mother made a very beautiful quilt which is still in excellent condition. . . . I shall be glad to donate it.” Matilda’s carefully crafted quilt in the “Whig Rose” pattern was considered a “desirable specimen” by the Museum.
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 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.
The weaver and original owner of this very complex, well worn, single-woven, linen, cotton and wool, overshot coverlet, dated 1784, are unknown. The letters “E M” and the date are woven into the coverlet on the lower right hand side, using a hand technique. We do not know if
“E M” stands for name of the owner or the weaver. In the 18th century it was not unusual for textiles to be marked with the initials of the owner, but it was usually done with embroidery. The initials identified the coverlet as the woman's property. Women could own and inherit "moveable" property.
The overall patterns used in this coverlet are “Rose” and “Tables,” and there are two shades of indigo blue used in a band effect. The coverlet was woven in two sections, and then sewn together. The original size of the sections and the coverlet as a whole are unknown, as there are no original edges present. This coverlet was found in Massachusetts. In the18th century, a young woman might commission the weaving of a coverlet or receive one as a gift, and put it in her dowry (hope chest) saving it for use after marriage.
According to the donor, Elizabeth Deuel is said to have made this blue and white, overshot, all-linen coverlet in 1790, in the Saratoga region of New York. Her name and the date are cross-stitched into the lower edge of the coverlet just above the fringe. A search of the 1790 census of the area produced no one with the surname Deuel. More research is needed to determine where Deuel lived, and if she was the weaver or the owner of this coverlet. In the 18th century, it was common for household textiles to be marked with the initials or name of the owner and the date. The average colonial home did not have a great number of household textiles, and they were considered important possessions. This coverlet was woven in two sections that were then sewn together. The coverlet is woven in a “Chariot Wheel” pattern and measures 104.75 inches by 80.25 inches.
Cross-stitched in pink silk: “Mary Ann Kinyon 1852,” clearly identifies this quilt. A framed-center design, the center panel (51 inches by 44 inches) focus is a basket of tulips, daisies, and grapes with pineapples and tulips in the corners. The frame is a 3-inch band of cone motifs. An outer 16-inch border is quilted with a feathered vine and flowers and a triple diagonal grid 3-inch border. All finely quilted; 12 to 13 stitches per inch.
Mary Ann Bardwell was born July 29, 1816 in Onondaga Co., NY. She married Anthony Kinyon (1805-1892) about 1837. The spelling of the name was later changed to Kenyon. They farmed in the Onondaga County area and raised three children; Anson, Willis, and Flora. Mary Ann died March 25, 1903. Her precisely quilted counterpane is an example of mid-19th-century white-work.
This white-work child's quilt belonged to Ann Bender Snyder in the 1840s, whether it was intended for her own child is not known. Forty years later Ann Bender Snyder gave the quilt to her god daughter, Nina Knode, as a baptismal gift when she was six months old. Nina Knode Heft always felt that it was a "museum piece" and that "after she was gone nobody would be interested in taking care of [it] in the same manner as she had." William Heft, Nina Knode's husband, followed his wife's wishes and donated it in her name to the Museum in 1940.
The all white cotton quilt has a center medallion consisting of a basket of fruit above the quilted initials "A B S" enclosed in a feathered vine. This in turn is surrounded by an undulating vine bearing grapes, flowers, and pineapples. Stems and straight lines are stuffed with cotton roving. The border has a zigzag row of pointed oval leaves. Three sides of the quilt are edged with a 3-inch netted fringe.
Ann Bender was born in about 1830, and married Oliver H. Snyder on 15 September 1847. In 1848 they had a daughter, Alice, who died at age five in 1853. Both Ann and Oliver Snyder lived in Funkstown, Maryland. Both died in 1887 and are buried in the Funkstown Public Cemetery.