Balance-type scale, body of cast iron, flat pan of bronze and large scoop-shaped pan of copper. Two large weights of bronze and six smaller weights of cast iron housed in pine box.
Scale (A) has heavy cast iron base supporting a pivoting/balancing armature. One end of armature has flat, round, brass pan while opposite end has four fingers of iron supporting a detachable copper pan shaped like a large oval scoop with a rolled edge. Base has remnants of original red paint and gold striping. "Fairbanks" is embossed on top of both sides of central base section. Brass plate near center of armature reads: "Pat'd. Dec. 18, 1877."
Eight weights are as follows:
(B & C) Two circular disks marked "2" at top center, signifying 2 lbs.
(D) One cast iron weight, pie-shaped, with embossed "1" at top center, signifying 1 lb. Lead infill stamped "S" on bottom.
(E) One cast iron weight, pie-shaped, with impressed "8" at top center, signifying 8 oz. Bottom has small lead infill, unmarked.
(F) One cast iron weight, pie-shaped, with embossed "4" at top center, signifying 4 oz.
(G) One cast iron weight, pie-shped, with embossed "2" at top center, signifying 2 oz.
(H) One cast iron weight, pie-shaped, with embossed "1" at top center, signifying 1 oz.
(I) One cast iron weight, pie-shaped, with embossed "1/2" at top center, signifying a half oz.
(J) Square, finger-jointed pine box, used for housing the eight weights.
Provenance
Donor states scale was used in the candy department at Woolworth's store on North Queen Street. It was later acquired by the family. Donor recalls that her mother Florence E. Werner Cohen (1895-1994) used the scales extensively for baking in her home since she sold baked goods at her Central Market stand.
Width includes large pan length. Length is pan to pan.
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2014-12-19
Condition Notes
Considerable wear, esp. to copper pan which is tarnished and dented. Food residues in crevices. Red-painted body is worn w/ light corrosion over some parts. Weights are well worn, esp. the two 2# weights which are covered in small gashes and have dark stains. Box is strongly deteriorated and held together with nails. Heavy soil with accretions.
Object ID
G.01.19.3a-j
Notes
This scale has a removable pan for scooping merchandise such as candy. Disc weights determined the weight of goods by counterbalanceing on the opposing flat pan. This balance scale was used in the candy department of Woolworth's and then at home for measuring backing ingredients.
Place of Origin
St. Johnsbury, Caledonia County, Vermont
Credit
Gift of Rheta e. cohen Stacy in memory of Florence E. Werner Cohen
Quilt, pieced top of silk octagons, cotton batting, dark green velvet backing, tied (not quilted) with green yarns. Pieced top only was made by Marianna Gibbons while living at her farm, Beechdale, just north of Bird-in-Hand. Octagonal patches made Dec. 18, 1893 to March 17, 1894, except for final embroidered center patch. Quilt top likely completed soon after, during 1894. but definitely before her 1902 marriage to Oram David Brubaker (1862-1929), since she used intials MG instead of MGB.
Top has 25 blocks, each with 25 octagons. Each 8 1/2-inch block uses different silk fabrics; solids, prints and velvets. The 25 blocks are separated by an inner sash of dark green ribbed fabric, 1 1/2" wide. Only the squares at the intersections of the sashes are different, a midnight blue velvet (although many are worn off to show a black fabric backing). Outer border is dark green silk 4 1/2" wide and mitered at the corners. Center block containing alternating yellow and black octagons has the embroidered initials "MG" in center and the remaining yellow ones are embroidered with flowers.
Provenance
Provenance: Descent in Brubaker family to step-granddaughter Margaret Thompson Herr (donor's cousin). When Margaret died, donor acquired the quilt at the circa 1980 estate sale in Quarryville for ten dollars. Donor is also a step-granddaughter of maker.
Donor states that at some point before she bought the quilt, "church ladies" had put a pale green, quilted backing on it and secured it with ties. It had not been finished by Marianna Gibbons. Donor eventually replaced it during the 1980s with something more to her taste -- the present backing of dark green polyester velvet. It is secured at the corners of each of the 25 blocks with ties knotted at the back.
History: Donor reports that the Dr. Joseph and Phebe Earle Gibbons family were Quakers and their farm, Beechdale, was a primary station on the Underground Railroad. (The house itself is now gone, and the farm is now a horse farm.) Jack Brubaker (the Scribbler) owns the diaries of Marianna and her mother. The donor has worked on transcribing the diaries for years. Both women were well educated and accomplished. Marianna earned two degrees at Millersville Normal School in 1871 and 1872, was a writer, was well travelled and lectured with the temperance movement (W.C.T.U.). After Marianna completed the quilt, she married in 1902 a widower who was 14 years her junior, with 9 children aged 6 - 19. Oram David Brubaker & children came to live on his new wife's farm since she had a large farm and greater wealth. With trees and water, the 56-acre farm became a duck farm.
Generally very good. Some silk octagons are deteriorating and some velvet has lost its nap. The quilt had been finished by "church ladies" at some time while owned by Margaret T. Herr. Donor disliked it so replaced it with a polyester velvet in the 1980s. Small bleach spot on outer border.
Object ID
G.03.18.1
Place of Origin
Bird-in-Hand, East Lampeter Twp.
Role
Quiltmaker
Credit
Gift of Marian Brubaker, Heritage Center Collection
A: Homemade awl or piercing tool with hand-shaped shank with turned up tip set into a crude wooden handle with no finish. L: 5.25"
B: Awl or bodkin with decoratively turned walnut or rosewood handle fitted with a foresection of bone set into handle that tapers to a sharp point. L: 5"
C: Section of cow's horn (thumb protector?) L: 3.25"
D. Section of cow's horn (thumb protector?) L: 3"
Provenance
These four items were designated as basketweaving tools by donor. Unknown origin.
Lancaster Amish quilt, Center Square pattern, c. 1895. Machine assembled and hand-quilted.
Top: Twill-weave wool.
Back: Soft red twill-weave cotton.
Quilting: Dark-colored thread used in fine regular stitches. Inner square is filled with a large feather wreath with surrounding areas in waffle. Inner border has diamond quilting with a pumpkin seed flower within each. Outer border is filled with scrolling feathers and scalloping along its inner edge.
Blue 1" binding is machine sewn front and back.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from an unknown seller for $3.800 in April 1978.
Lancaster Amish quilt is a Center Square pattern, c. 1895. Machine joined; finely quilted with black thread.
Top: Twill-weave wools. Center is brown, 38" wide, pieced with one large piece and 5" strip at one side made of four smaller pieces. Inner border is medium blue, 4" wide. Outer border is dark olive green, 14" wide. Binding is medium blue, 1 1/2" wide, machine stitched to both back and front.
Back: Brown twill-weave wool with a narrow panel pieced at both sides of cinnamon brown sateen cotton.
Batting: Lightweight, either cotton or wool.
Quilting: Outer border filled with a gracefully curved scrolling feather. Inner border has 4-petal "pumpkin seed" flowers surrounded by a geometric diamond pattern. The 4 "pumpkin seed" shapes of these flowers slant sideways, creating a more dynamic feel. Center square has concentric feather rings with the center filled with a scallop-edged circle of waffle quilting. Outside corners are also filled with waffle quilting.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from Gaye N. Delling of Evergreen, CO in April of 1989 for $6,500.
Very dark liquid stains sprinkled mostly along one side of outer border; light liquid stains sprinkled elsewhere. Some liquid ate through fabric resulting in tiny holes mostly around outer border; cluster of holes near one corner of quilt has one larger hole of about 1/2" diameter.
Detailed 1989 condition report by conservator Linnea Davis in file: old repairs of holes and stains at outer border. Binding is faded with tack holes.
Lancaster Amish quilt is a Center Square pattern, c. 1895. Finely quilted w/ symmetry & precision. Assembled by machine and hand-quilted with brown cotton thread.
Top: Twill- and plain-weave wool. Center square of teal is 34 inches wide. Inner border (4 1/4" wide) is green and wide outer border (16" wide) is red. Faded blue binding is 1 1/4" wide.
Quilting: Same patterns, but differs slightly from the quilting of the previous two Center Square quilts. The large scrolls of the feather pattern of the outer border create compressed oval shapes rather than the conventional circular shapes. Scallops along the inner edge. Inner border has straight feather quilting. At one side of inner border is a significant gap between the feather ends, filled with a 5/8"-diameter ring. Center Square has a large, thin feather wreath. Waffle quilting fills inside and outside of wreath; scallops at both inside and outside edges of waffle quilting.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from Phyllis Haders of New York and Mystic, Conn., May 1984 for $9,000.
Overall fading. Outer border has multiple holes from about 1/2" x 1/4" big to 1/8" dia. that have been repaired by filling with similar twill fabric. Much of this border has pronounced discoloration/stains/soil and large areas are threadbare. Binding is significantly deteriorated with multiple breaks, fraying and small holes. Crepeline support added to bindings in 1985 and velcro on tape attached. Due to deterioration, removed velcro & crepeline in 1990, examined and replaced w/ new velcro on tape and some patches of crepeline. See condition reports in file.
Lancaster Amish quilt, Diamond in the Square pattern. Design of quilt is less complex than most (no outer corner blocks), suggesting a later date. Large size also supports a later date. The quilting is not dense.
Top: Plain-and crepe-weave wool. Red diamond with turquoise narrow border within a square of green triangular blocks having a turquoise narrow border and gray corner blocks (unusual light color choice for Lancaster Co. Amish). Outside border of green. Blue binding.
Back: Blue plain-weave polished cotton.
Quilting: Hand quilted in black thread, without the normal dense patterns. Unusual floral wreath in center diamond; pumpkin seed flowers in both narrow borders including gray corner blocks; 3-branching rose motif in triangles of square; good conventional feather scrolling in outer borders.
Provenance
Esprit purchased on 6-12-1986 from the Holsteins for $9,000.
Numerous holes/tears mended on binding at one corner and one within outside border. Multiple light stains or soil. Reverse has faded/bleached strip with accretion and a circular liquid stain.
Lancaster Amish quilt, Diamond in the Square pattern, initialed "VK", c. 1930. Large, square quilt, machine assembled. Pleasing combination of six colors with fine hand quilting.
Top: plain-and twill-weave wools. Center diamond of red has a narrow border of turquoise with olive-green corners. Dark purple twill of the center square also has a narrow inner border that repeats the same turquoise & green of the first inner border. Outer border of blue has pink corners. Hand-finished purple binding, one inch wide, machine sewn to front and turned and whip-stitched to back..
Back: Light pink, plain-weave cotton, sewn from four panels. Initialed "VK" in red cross-stitched cotton, back corner, similar to the previous quilt.
Quilting: Done in black cotton thread. Red center diamond has 3-ring feather wreath with double-outlined 8-point star centered within; tiny single feather wreath in corners. Both inner borders have the same meandering 5-petal flower & stem motif (instead of more common grapevine motif). Deep purple triangles of inner center square has waffle motif. Outer border has densely scrolled feather motif that extends through corner blocks.
See existing Esprit condition report. Pink corner squares quite faded. Very noticeable dark brown liquid spots/drips scattered over quilt. Backing has several dark yellowish-brown spots and a liquid stain in one corner.
