Why Quilts Matter: History, Art & Politics – Image Resources

Episode 2 – Quilts Bring History Alive

Crazy Friendship Quilt (detail) Mattie Layman c. 1896 Wool with cotton backing 70 1/2″ x 78 1/4″ Kentucky Library & Museum Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY

We all wonder how people really thought, dressed, traveled, and behaved in generations past, and we need only to look to quilts to find out. Since quilts were made—not by artisans—but by ordinary women whose lives they closely reflect, they are fonts of information about the people and periods they represent. In this episode we will explore the quilt’s unique ability to preserve, not only our own family histories, but the history of America beyond the reach of memory.

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$Godey\'s Lady\'s Book patterns Public domain$

$Abigail C. French\'s note attached to the back of her Bow Tie Quilt 1894 From The American Quilt, Roderick Kiracofe, Clarkson Potter, 2004 Photo by Sharon Risedorph Courtesy of Roderick Kiracofe$

$Music Teacher\'s Quilt Emily Robison Quilt top 1943, quilted 1978 Cotton, bunting 70 ½$

$Godey\'s Lady\'s Book Public domain$

$Demorest\'s Illustrated Monthly and Mme Demorest\'s Mirror of Fashions December 1865 Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division Popular Graphic Arts Collection Washington, D.C. Item number LC-USZ62-136391 www.loc.gov/pictures$

$Schoolhouse Quilt Top The Presbyterian Ladies of Oak Ridge, Missouri 1897-1898 Cotton with cotton embroidery 74 ½\" x 90 ½\" Gift of Beverly Walker Reitz in memory of Vest Walker Item number 1984.22.10 American Folk Art Museum New York, New York www.folkartmuseum.org$

$Cigar Band Quilt Maker unknown c. 1880-1890 Silk 35\" x 36\" Photo by Geoffrey Carr Formerly in the collection of Shelly Zegart Collection of The Art Institute of Chicago$

$Postage Stamp Mrs. B. W. Riley 1939 Cotton 80\" x 75\" Item number 1998.213 Dallas Museum of Art Dallas, Texas www.dm-art.org Postage Stamp (detail)$

$Spectrum George W. Yarrall 1935 Cotton percale 78 ½\" x 90 ¾\" Item number KM 1985.88.1 Kentucky Library & Museum Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, Kentucky www.wku.edu/Library/kylm$

$Mosaic 3 Hand-pieced by Albert Small Hand-quilted by Eva and Marian Small 1941-1945 Cotton 83 ¾\" x 97 ¾\" Photo by Doug Carr Gift of Mr. William A. Small and Evelyn Small Carter Item number 1992.51.3 Illinois State Museum Springfield, Illinois www.museum.state.il.us$

$Album of Inventors Maker unknown c. 1933 Cotton 89\" x 72\" Made for the Sears Century of Progress Contest, Chicago World\'s Fair Photo by Geoffrey Carr Formerly in the Collection of Shelly Zegart$

$Chicago in 1833 Wolfs Point Site of Merchandise Mart Maker unknown 1933 Cotton Made for the Sears Century of Progress Contest, Chicago World\'s Fair Photo by Geoffrey Carr Formerly in the collection of Shelly Zegart$

$Chicago World\'s Fair, Sears Century of Progress Ida Stow 1933 91 ½\" x 76\" Item number 1997.007.0947 The International Quilt Study Center & Museum University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, Nebraska www.quiltstudy.org/collections$

$Century of Progress quilt Created from a kit sold at the Chicago World\'s Fair Maker unknown 1933 Cotton Photo by Geoffrey Carr Formerly in the collection of Shelly Zegart$

$My Week at a Glance Jean Ray Laury 2005 Wool, felt, paint, floss 49\" x 60\"$

$Listen to Your Mother Jean Ray Laury 1997 Cotton, paint 43\" x 43\" Item number 2001.04.01 The National Quilt Museum Paducah, Kentucky www.quiltmuseum.org More info at www.quiltindex.org$

$Liberty Weeps for Her Country Susan Shie 2001 Cotton, paint, glass beads, polymer clay, buttons, antique clothespins, sequined snake appliqués, ceramic alphabet beads 44\" x 34\" www.turtlemoon.com$

$The Mastectomy Quilt Suzanne Marshall 1992 64\" x 52\" www.suzannequilts.com$

$Godey\'s Lady\'s Book cover Public domain$

$The Terminus of One Path Michael James 2008 Cotton, dyes 53 ¼\" x 43\" Photo by Larry Gawel Courtesy of Modern Arts Midwest www.unl.edu/mjames_quilts$

$What We Miss Joan Schulze 2010 35\" x 45\" www.joan-of-arts.com$

$Fifteen Karen Stiehl Osborn 2010 Hand-painted and dyed cotton, canvas, dye, acrylic paint 15\" x 15\" www.karenstiehlosborn.com$