Quilted in Ohio in the first half of the twentieth century, this is a Mennonite or possibly Amish version of the “Sawtoothed Bars” pattern. It is two-toned, made of plain-woven red and green cottons. Outline quilting was done on the sawtooth triangles, and all other areas were quilted in a diagonal grid with grey-green cotton thread.
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.
This quilt, composed of 5 ¾” squares of printed cotton set diagonally with 2 ¾” sashing and border, contains interesting cotton fabrics from the early 19th century. The green motif repeated on a dark ground appears to have been mordant-printed from a small wooden stamp, possibly of Indian origin, and dyed. The sashing is cut from yardage of copper-block-printed floral stripes, probably English. The lining is a block-printed resist-dyed fabric. The various fabric printing techniques and the woven effect of the sashing contribute to the appeal of this quilt.
Pieced quilt top made up of Ninety blocks, (10 rows, 9 blocks per row); blocks are composed of small squares (1” approx.) and large and small triangles, 36 pieces in each block/square. Pieces most probably made from cottons produced in the 19th century New England textile mills. Includes many different small-patterned printed dress and shirting cottons, including in colorways associated with mourning prints (grays, purples, and black with white), with browns and blues, and irregular additions of reds and pinks. Maker unknown, but the quilt was passed down in a family in Topeka, Kansas.
Jane Paull Torrence made this quilted and stuffed counterpane about the time of her marriage in 1820 to William Ludlam Miller (1793-1867). Jane was born in Pennsylvania in 1796 or 1797. She and William lived in Port Perry, Pennsylvania and had nine children. Jane died in 1862 or 1863.
The quilted and stuffed counterpane has a center panel, 34 inches square, with stylized flowers and leaves in a four-lobed figure. The panel is surrounded by a 6-1/4-inch band of leaves and two 1-1/2-inch feathered bands. A 22-inch border, containing a meandering vine bearing grapes and flowers, frames the center with a narrow band of geometric figures along the edges. The counterpane has a white cotton lining and cotton filling. The 3-dimensional motifs are stuffed with cotton and cotton roving and outline quilted. The background is quilted with double diagonal grid and parallel diagonal lines patterns, ¼-inch apart. The quilting is 12 stitches per inch. There is no separate binding, the back is brought to the front and whip stitched. The stuffed work floral motifs and overall design of the all-white counterpane, is characteristic of many early 19th-century bedcovers.
An as-of-yet unidentified weaver from the Bergen County, New Jersey area wove this medium blue and dark blue, Figured and Fancy, double cloth, coverlet. There is no center seam, indicating that this coverlet was woven on a broad loom, which would have required at least two weavers to throw the shuttle back and forth or a spring-loaded fly shuttle. The centerfield design is made up of an ovular central medallion composed of various flowers including what appears to be hyacinths. There is a ring of silhouetted floral designs and fylfots circling that. There is a double border of grape vines and single grape leafs with grapes on three sides. The outer border is cut off and the inner border is cut almost in half along the top. The name Mary Van Emburgh and the date 1838, are woven into the two lower corners. The thread count of this coverlet is 16 warp and 18 weft per inch. The fringe is three inches deep. There is a possibility that this coverlet was woven by David Haring (1880-1889) or a weaver in his shop. Harring is known to have owned a broad loom and the designs, layout, and double border all fall into his design aesthetic.
This red-orange and white, overshot coverlet was woven with no borders and appears to be handwoven. The coverlet edges correspond with the end of a block which appears cut off on some sides. There is no fringe. One end had a rolled hemmed secured with a whip stitch, and the other end is frayed. The coverlet is structurally sound, being constructed of one length of fabric that has been cut in half and sewn together in middle with a center seam. There is some fading and wear that has accrued with time and use. The fading also suggests that the red-orange was obtained by using a natural red dye like madder. Chemical spectroscopy is needed to determine the dye definitively. One end of the coverlet is badly frayed as the securing rolled hem has come loose. There are some pulled yarns present and there are some old repairs. There was a note attached to the coverlet (now in the object file). It says: "Former owner of madder coverlet Mrs. Clarissa Champion Smith, Charity Vosburgh Milhan both of north Chatham (south of Albany) New York, wove it." 1830's or 40. Clarissa Champion was born October 11, 1799. She married Henry Nicholas Smith and died in 1886. Charity Ann Vosburgh was born c. 1805 and married Simon Milham. She died December 2, 1877. Both women were married to men who in the 1850 Federal Census recorded their occupations as “Farmer.” It would not have been unusual for the women of Chatham to pool resources, tools (looms and spinning wheels), raw materials (wool), and skills to create textiles in exchange for other goods and services. This economy is described and explained by Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s books, The Age of Homespun. This block and table overshot pattern could easily have been woven on a four-harness loom.
Henry Oberly (1805-1874) likely wove this blue and red, Figured and Fancy, tied-Beiderwand coverlet for Anna Nancy King Zook (1784-1840) in Berks County, Pennsylvania sometime between 1835 and 1840. The coverlet features a “Double Rose” carpet medallion centerfield where the motif is contained in large sunburst designs. There are borders along three sides. The side borders depict large adorsed peacocks on branches, and the bottom border depicts a town scene. Rather than traditional cornerblocks, the weaver has turned the bottom border pattern and included the client’s name, “Anna Zook” along the top. The coverlet was constructed from two panels that were woven as one length, cut, and seamed up the middle. The coverlet measures 94 inches by 80.5 inches. There is fringe on 3 sides of the coverlet. Motifs from this coverlet can also be found on coverlets woven by Henry Oberly (1805-1874), and Jacob Witmer (c.1797 - c.1887) of Lancaster Co. PA. Anna Zook’s location in Berks County as well as Oberly’s use of the same peacock and centerfield motifs, suggest that Oberly is the weaver of the this coverlet.
The weaver of these Scipio, New York coverlets has yet to be identified. This blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double cloth coverlet has a “Double Rose,” carpet medallion centerfield, double-headed “Eagle and Federal Hall” side borders, double-headed “Eagle and Tree” bottom border, and no fringe. The pattern repeat unit is 18.5 inches by 14.25 inches. The border is 7.5 Inches wide on all sides. The coverlet has a center seam which is hand stitched but does not appear to be original because the thread is so white in contrast to the yellowed white yarns in the coverlet It has been hemmed on all four sides. It was a common practice to undo the center seam when washing coverlets. Because of their overall size and the weight of them wet, they were more easily managed in panels. The coverlet has woven inscription in the two bottom corner blocks which read, "Matilda Gray Scipio NY 1830." Being double-cloth, the coverlet was woven from two sets of warps and wefts made up of 3-ply, S-Twist, Z-Spun cotton and wool yarns. Although this coverlet was woven in New York, it was purchased by the donor in the twentieth century in Napa, California, attesting the importance of coverlets as family heirlooms and their association with westward expansion in America. There were many people named Matilda Gray living in New York State in 1830; however, the best candidate for the owner of this coverlet seems to be the Matilda Gray born circa 1809-1812.
"Braddock's defeat" pattern variation; coverlet; overshot weave; c. 1840; possibly New York or New Jersey. Overshot' multi-harness coverlet in natural, tight-spun, 2-ply, s-twist, z-spun cotton warp and weft and loosely spun, 2-ply, s-twist, z-spun indigo-dyed blue and madder-dyed rust wool supplementary weft floats. The ground fabric is plain weave. The pattern consists of borders and a series of blocks and tables in various configurations occurring in a regular repetitive fashion, and this pattern is known as "Braddock's defeat". The coverlet was woven in one long piece, cut,, folded back on itself, and stitched up the middle. Excellent attention has been paid to make sure the patterns of both widths match perfectly when joined at the center seam. Matched seams are a trademark of Northern overshot coverlets. A machine woven binding has been attached by machine on all four sides.The pattern repeat is 13", and the thread count is 32 ends x 13 picks/inch. The center seam appears to be original with the same cotton warp/weft yarns being used to seam the two halves together. There has been some repair to the center of the seam in black thread, and the zig-zag stictch and presence of two distinct threads indicates this repair was done with a sewing machine. There are also some small holes which have been repaired with a pink, madder-dyed, homespun, single-ply yarn.
Mrs. Carolyn Kait's maternal grandfather, John S. Mickle, a farmer who settled in Point Pleasant, NJ, listed a coverlet, likely this one, in his will. It was likely part of the wedding trusseau from his parent's marriage in 1843. Mr. Mickle's father John J, Mickel was born in New York in 1822 and served as a private in the Civil War with a New York unit only later moving to New Jersey with his wife and family. The coverlet is almost certainly made in New York state, and more research is needed to determine a county and possible weaver.
This "Catalpa Flower" pattern, overshot coverlet was made from brown 2-ply, S-Twist, Z-spun wool and cotton between the years 1790-1820 in Darlington County, SC. This overshot coverlet was a gift of the Field family and came with detailed genealogies linking the coverlet to the family of Col. Lemuel Benton (1754-1818). The Benton family home, Stony Hill, now demolished, was just outside of Mechanicsville, Darlington County, South Carolina. It was likely made on the family's farm, possibly by enslaved spinners and weavers.
Colonel Lemuel Benton (1754-1818) was born in Granville County, North Carolina. As a young man he moved to Darlington County, South Carolina. He became an eminent landowner and planter in what was then known as the Cheraw District. Benton was elected major of the Cheraw Regiment in 1777. . He was promoted to the rank of colonel in 1781 and resigned his commission in 1794. After the Revolutionary War, Col. Benton severed in the South Carolina State House of Representatives from 1782-1788. Benton also served as a county court justice, county treasurer, sheriff, and as a delegate to the state’s convention to ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1788 and 1790. Colonel Benton also served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Benton retired to his estate, Stony Hill in Darlington County where he died in 1818.
Colonel Benton appears to have been married twice. He and his first wife, who has yet to be identified, had a daughter, Charlotte Benton Prince (1783-1870). Col. Benton marries Elizabeth “Betsy” Kimbrough (b. 1776) sometime before the birth of their child, Gilly Hinton Benton Dubose (1789-1852). It is possible that his wives or daughters wove this coverlet. It is also just as likely that some of the ninety-five enslaved people recorded in the 1810 Federal Census were working in a loom house weaving coverlets, blankets, and cloth for the other enslaved people working on Benton’s land.
This blue and white, cotton and wool geometric coverlet panel is an excellent example of the structure known as Summer-and-Winter. There is a lot of apocryphal and mythological information circulating about the origins of this structure. Is it an American invention or a European holdover? It is quite likely we will never know. Summer-and-Winter weave is an overshot weave with stricter rules. The supplementary warp yarn cannot float over more than two warp yarns. This creates a tighter fabric and also gives Summer-and-Winter its light (Summer) side and its darker (Winter) side. This particular coverlet panel was woven by the donor’s great-great-great-grandmother, Elizabeth Johnstone of Hartford, Connecticut for her dowry chest in the late eighteenth century. A letter from the donor recorded that the family said the coverlet was woven in the “late Revolutionary days.” Elizabeth married John Ashley, also from Connecticut, and the couple moved to Catskill, New York where they raised their family. Elizabeth would later move to Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1836 to live with son John Joseph Ashley. The pattern depicted in this panel is most commonly referred to as “Whig Rose.” This panel would likely have been one of three that would have been woven as one length, cut, and sewn together to create the full, finished width. The coverlet was likely separated into panels during subsequent generations as it was passed down through the family.
This blue and white, Jacquard, tied-Beiderwand coverlet can be attributed to Jacob B. Gernand (1797-1871) likely between the years 1836-1839 in Graceham, Frederick County, Maryland. This coverlet features a “Double Flower” carpet medallion centerfield, possibly a chrysanthemum, with a double “Tulip and Vine” and Greek key side border and stylized “Fruiting Hops Vine” bottom border. There is a self-fringe on the sides and bottom border. "MIDDLE/TOWN/FRED_K/COUNTY/MARY-" is woven into the lowers cornerblocks. It is these cornerblocks that help to attribute this coverlet to Gernand. Of the known weavers in Frederick County, Maryland, Jacob B. Gernand is the only weaver to abbreviate Frederick as “FRED_K.” Gernand purchased the rights to a patented Jacquard loom in 1835, and his only dated coverlet was woven in 1836. This coverlet measures 79 inches by 74 inches and is constructed of two panels with a center seam. Gernand used 3-ply, S-twist, Z-spun cotton for the warp and weft, 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun wool for the pattern weft, and Z-spun cotton singles as a binding warp.
Jacob Gernand was born in Frederick County and married three times. His first wife was Elizabeth Williar. He married his second wife, Anna Theodora Becker in 1823, and his third wife was Sybilla Wilhide. He had children with each of his wives. Two of those children were also known weavers, Eugene J. Gernand and William H. Gernand (1823-1883). Jacob was very active in the Moravian Church and served as his local postmaster for many decades. The 1850 Maryland Census listed Jacob as a farm with real estate valued at $1450.
Jacob Biesecker Jr. (1810-1865) of Franklin Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania wove this Figured and Fancy, red, white, and blue, tied-Beiderwand coverlet in 1852. The coverlet has self-fringe along three sides. The centerfield design is a carpet medallion design featuring “Double Thistle,” “Double Leaf,” and eight-point star floral medallions. There is a double border along three sides made up of an “Eagle and Tree” inner border and a diamond and eight-pointed star outer border. The corner block inscription reads, “J. Biesecker Jr. New Invention Franklin T. Ad. Co. 1852.” This coverlet measures 90 inches by 76 inches and was constructed from two panels initially woven as one length on the loom. In the 1850 Federal Census, Jacob is recorded as a weaver living in the household of his father, Jacob, a farmer with real estate valued at $3000. Jacob’s advertisement of “New Invention” on his coverlets also tells that he had purchased a licensing agreement for a patented loom or patterning mechanism. By the 1850s, it was almost certainly a Jacquard head. Jacob Jr.’s pattern book survives in the family and his probate inventory recorded three looms and their fixtures plus two varieties of carpet valued at different rates. It is presumable that Biesecker was employing and training other fancy weavers and operating a small manufactory from his family farm in Adams County. Many of these farm/manufactories also operated mills. More research is needed to fully understand the economic activities of the Biesecker family.
John (Johannes) Kaufman (1812-1863) wove this Jacquard, tied-Beiderwand coverlet which features a “Double Lily” carpet medallion centerfield pattern. There is an inner border of addorsed roosters and garlands and an outer border of double flowers along the sides and bottom. There are also two inscribed cornerblocks identifying the maker, customer, place made, and date. Kaufman used red wool and indigo-dyed cotton to weave this coverlet in tied-Beiderwand structure. Sometimes called single-Jacquard, this structure is an integrated weave and identifiable by the ribbed texture of the textile. In the upper left hand corner there is a large amount of red yarn missing due to wear. Smaller amounts of red yarn is missing from five others areas on the coverlet.
John (Johannes) Kaufman (1812-1863) was a Mennonite weaver. He was born in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania and began weaving in Hilltown Township in Bucks County in 1837. Samuel Moyer was the customer for whom the coverlet was woven. There are five Samuel Moyers buried in the Blooming Glen Mennonite Meetinghouse graveyard alongside Kaufman, and it is almost certain one of these interrelated Samuels that was the commissioner of the coverlet. This correlation reflects that artisan weavers often gained customers from trade and community networks which they were already a part of. Pennsylvania coverlet scholar, Ron Walter estimates that Kaufman wove between 400 and 500 coverlets. Most are still owned by family descendants but some are in the collections at NMAH, the Pennsylvania Museum of Art, the Mennonite Heritage Center, and private collections like Walter's. Kauffman is known to have operated as a weaver from 1837-1847 when rival weaver, Samuel B. Musselman seemingly forced him out of business. This coverlet is different than most other Kaufman coverlets, because of the indigo-dyed cotton warp threads. His other extant coverlets feature the typical horizontal color bands of reds, greens, blues, and white common in Pennsylvania coverlets. The donor purchased the coverlet in 1927 in nearby Quakertown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Landes/Hutchinson-style, geometric design with pine tree border; coverlet; double-woven; plain weave; 1800-1850, Pennsylvania. Geometric, double weave, all-wool, 2-ply, s-twist, warp and wefts, red & light and dark blue. Unsure if dyes are synthetic or natural, but knowing this information could help narrow the manufacture date range. The dyes are likely indigo and madder. The repeating, geometric pattern is similar to the Landes #42, 43, 50, 51 and 57 and Hutchinson/Landes #37, 58, and 60, with a "Pine Tree" border. The coverlet is made up of two 39" panels joined together in a matching center seam. The seam has been restitched in a 3-ply cotton. The pattern is an 11 sq. inch repeat made up of 2.75" checks containing 25 dots each. There appears to have been a fringe along the bottom left over from weaving that has worn off. The sides are left as selvedge and the top is hemmed unevenly. The border pattern repeat meausres 5.5"x7" and features 2 crossed "pine tree" corner blocks. The condition of the coverlet is good and the colors are very bright, which warrants further examination to deternine if they may be analine. There are 3 patched holes at the bottom right and bottom seam that are made from the same pattern and materials as the coverlet, possibly taken from the top? This coverlet was part of a traveling exhibition in 1975-76. This coverlet along with an another were donated in 1968. The other coverlet is linked to Miss Kirkpatrick's grandfather, Samuel Piper of Oakville, PA, and this coverlet may very well have been made by the same person or come from the same area. The style and design would indicate that it was made in Southeastern, PA.
John B. Welty (1792-1841) wove this coverlet in 1841 in Boonsboro, Washington County, Maryland. Welty and his brother, George (b. 1800-1810) both wove in the town. There are 3 borders present, all featuring a double rose and branches and addorsed thistle finches (Distelfinken). The centerfield features double flower medallions and sunbursts, most closely related to the “Lillies of France” or “Double Lily” patterns. The name of the weaver (John Welty), the town (Boonsboro, Washington County, Maryland), and the date (1841) can be seen in the two lower cornerblocks. The coverlet structure is called 2/1 tied-Biederwand and features a 2-end warp rib of natural cotton which alternates and it “tied” together with a single end of blue dyed cotton; the filling yarns of red, light blue, and dark blue, dyed wool form the pattern and horizontal banding; and the tabby is of fine natural cotton yarn. This weave structure is known as Biederwand and was particularly popular among Germans immigrating into Pennsylvania and the surrounding regions. The coverlet was a gift of the Russell sisters. Family legend claims that the sheep for the wool were raised by the Russell's great grandparents, Jacob and Catherine Mullendore of Rohrsville, PA. The coverlet is in excellent condition and a fine example of Western Maryland coverlet weaving traditions and the influence of Pennsylvania German weaving traditions found along the Great Wagon Road. Of interesting note is that fact that coverlets signed with John B. Welty’s name continued to be made until 1853. Clarita Anderson posited two different hypotheses for why this may be—one, that John’s wife, Catharine Blessing Welty (1802-1854) continued the weaving business after her husband’s death, or two, that a former employee of Welty’s and possible lover of the widow Welty, George Ortell continued weaving in John’s name for Catharine. George and Catharine never married, Catherine is buried next to her husband, John, and Catharine and John’s children were entangled in a series of lawsuits involving Ortell to settle their mother’s estate.
Andrew Corick signed this Jacquard, tied-Biederwand coverlet. The centerfield pattern is the “Double Lillies” or “Lillies of France” pattern and the borders are the “Bird and Rosebush” pattern which features traditional Germanic folk motif of the confronted distelfinken (thistle finches). Corrick used horizontal color banding in blue, white, coral and green with self-fringe on three sides. . The woven inscription in the cornerblocks reads, "MIDDLETOWN FREDERICK COUNTY MARYLAND ANDREW CORICK'". The coverlet was woven in two panels each 38 inches wide. This exact coverlet design can be found replicated in Pennsylvania, Maryland (by other weavers), Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia (Western Virginia at the time), and New York. The earliest known coverlet with this pattern was woven in 1830 in New York. The accession file referred to these patterns as "Lillies and Stars" and the border as "Eagle and Rose Tree." The coverlet was handwoven in a 2-end warp rib of 3-ply, S-twist, Z-spun bleached cotton and alternatively with a single end of 3-ply, S-twist, Z-spun indigo-dyed cotton. The coverlet was purchased from Andrew Corrick directly by the donor's ancestors, Jonathan Recher Sottlemyer (1820-1896) and Susan Blickenstaff Stottlemyer (1823-1893). The couple was married in 1842. This is likely the time period when the couple would have acquired the coverlet.
Andrew Corick (Corrick, Coriock) (1791-1863) was a German immigrant who settled in Middletown, Frederick Co., Maryland and began weaving and farming. His coverlets are never dated, but we can speculate that he was active during the 1830s-1840s. The 1850 Maryland Census recorded Andrew Corrick as a 59-year-old farmer with land valued at $4000. The 1860 Federal Census listed Corrick’s occupation as farmer and valued his land holdings at $2000 and his personal property at $900, suggesting his son had taken over the family weaving business and perhaps part of the farm. His son, Joshua Corrick (b. 1820) was also a weaver in Middletown, weaving in a similar style, who signed his work in the cornerblocks.
Weavers at the Lancaster Carpet, Coverlet, Quilt, and Yarn Manufactory likely wove this all-wool, mulberry and olive green, Figured and Fancy, double cloth coverlet in Lancaster City, Pennsylvania sometime between 1856 and 1880. There is a large central medallion composed of a starburst at the center surrounded by a floral wreath and garland of ivy. The ground is composed of a triangle design. There are borders on all four sides made up of floral urns, grape vines, and depictions of the U.S. Capitol. Each of the four corners contains an eight-pedaled floral design associated with Philip Schum’s manufactory. There is no center seam, indicating that this coverlet was woven on a broadloom and likely a power loom. There is no fringe. The coverlet is in overall poor condition and there are large sections of loss and the hems have come undone. Philip Schum (1814-1880) was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany. Schum immigrated to the United States with his first wife, Ana Margartha Bond in the 1830s, settling first in New York City where he worked as a malt tramper. The family soon moved to Lancaster County where Schum worked as a shoemaker and basket maker. Schum purchased a general store in 1852, and by 1856 he had become successful enough to sell the business and start the Lancaster Carpet, Coverlet, Quilt, and Yarn Manufactory. Schum expanded his business exponentially over the ensuing decades growing from four employee to over forty. He and his second wife, Anna Margaret Koch were killed by a train in their carriage in 1880. Schum’s sons took over the business which remained successful until the 1920s. There is no evidence that Schum was ever trained as a weaver.
The weaver of this “Star-in-Star” pattern, red, white, blue, and gold, multi-harness coverlet is unknown. It was likely made in the vicinity of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania where this style of coverlet was most common and according to the donor’s information likely dates between the years 1840-1850. These multi-harness coverlets require specialized looms with upward of 24 shafts to create the intricate and complex patterning. The coverlet measures 85 inches by 72 inches and is constructed from two panels that would have been woven as one length on the loom, cut, folded and sewn up the center. There is some loss in the coverlet due to its age, but overall the pattern and complexity of the design indicate the production of a master weaver.