Blanket chest, walnut with dark brown stain, by Henry Slaugh, showing stylistic influences of Colonial Revival, Italian Renaissance and Arts & Crafts (per donor). Elaborate carving on front & two bottom drawers. Unusual tenoned dado joint used in case construction. Secured with nails.
Hinged lid is unadorned except for double string inlay on edges.
Front, at top, is a frieze with two 1.75"-wide panels of intricate relief carving on either side of a shield inlay keyhole escutcheon. Centered within each carved panel are the first and last names in overlapping letters of the attorney who commissioned the chest "REDMOND" "CONYNHAM". The date of 1916 is also carved at sides of names. In the top corners of the front are carved rectangular boxes with relief carved initials, "H" on left and "S" on right for the maker, Henry Slaugh. Within the relief carving are smaller incised letters, "F" and "W" on left and "E" and "R" on right." Henry Slaugh Workshop.
Center panel has a long rectangle of string inlay with hollow upper corners. Applied, carved ionic columns at extreme left and right are decorated with vertical string inlay. At the top and bottom of the central panel is a thin molding with double string of inlay. The bottom molding and inlay continue around the sides.
Below the center panel are two drawers with double brass bail pulls and central shield inlay keyhole escutcheons and string inlay around the perimeter of each drawer. Flanking the drawers are two inlaid oval paterae. There is a thin molding under the drawers that continues around the sides with a double string of inlay.
Chest has French feet with spurs. Interior contains two fitted sliding drawers.
Redmond Conyngham (1863 - Jan. 8, 1929) was a Lancaster lawyer whose longtime office address was 53 N. Duke. His home at 134 N. Duke was the same residence of his mother & step-father. Later it was 304 N. Lime some time before his death. The 1912 Lancaster Business Guide, p. 11, lists Conyngham, lawyer, and Wm. H. Hager, Dept. Store, at 134 Duke St. Mrs. Wm. H. Hager was his half sister Mary Wilson Hager(1871-1956). Their mother was Mary E. Miller Conyngham Wilson, M.D.; Redmond's father was John Redmond Conyngham(b. 5-26-1842 d.?).
Provenance
Donor purchased chest for $1,000 at the Mary Hager sale held by Horst Auction, Jan. 29, 2000. Chest passed to Conyngham's half-sister who died in 1956, Mary Wilson Hager (Mrs. Wm. H. Hager).
Horst records only say "From the home of Mary Hager." Many items were consigned this way, apparently by a bank that was administering the estate.
Moderate soil and abrasions overall. A 1-inch-long discoloration on top is11.75" from right edge and 22" from front. Chips along top edge of lid. Left column partially separated from chest. Wear near bottom of feet. Back left foot has large loss and some chipping. Chip on right front foot. Loss at left drawer escutcheon;some cracks in others. Scrape below carved numeral "9".
Object ID
G.00.05.1
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Credit
Gift of John J. Snyder, Jr. in honor of the Krote Cousins, Heritage Center Collection
Oil lamp of light tinned sheet iron, painted a dull black. Cylindrical oil reservoir w/ rounded top and bottom has a projecting wick tube and wick. Wire wick pick on chain attached to removable collar around wick. Supported by a cylindrical pillar with an air hole at side near bottom. Lamp rests on a saucer base with gold painted ring decorating edge of raised center. Finger ring soldered to bottom of cup and center pillar. Reservoir is stenciled with gold lettering: "SAML. DAVIS/ PATENTED/ MAY 6th,1856".
Signature quilt presumably made for the marriage of John L. Shot / Ghot (unknown) and Fannie Gish (24 January 1835 - 26 February 1916), by friends and family in Rapho and Mount Joy Twp. area. The Gish family were Mennonite farmers & are buried in Keener Cemetery, Manheim -- including "Fannie M. Gish" (name not changed to Shot). Marriage apparently did not occur and she continued to live in parents' home through old age, always listed as single.
Pieced top of printed cottons in red, green and yellow, except for white signature blocks. There are 25 blocks of varying prints pieced into a geometric floral design. At center of each is a 3.75" square of white cotton with a name in cursive done in running stitch with red thread. At top left, the square reads: "John. L. Shot (or Ghot) / Fannie Gish/ was made in/ the year/ 1854." Outer border and sashing are the same printed fabric of green and yellow.
Back is a red and pink cotton print, wrapped to front to create a self-binding. Cotton batting.
Provenance
Purchased by Herrs Antiques (Trish) in 1990 from the estate of John Getz (1901-1986), Pitt St., in Manheim. Family members believed his wife, Sue Gish Ober Getz, was the granddaughter of Fannie Gish, but research instead identifies Peter and Mary Nissley Gish as Sue's grandparents. Quilt recipient Fannie Gish remained single with no known issue. Quilt likely descended within the Gish family to John and Sue Getz and due to its excellent condition, seems to have never been used.
Very good condition; used little if at all. White squares show light brown staining.
Object ID
P.90.02
Notes
A John Schott was found who was born in France on 1 Aug 1793 and died in Marietta 10 Oct 1860. He is buried in the Marietta Union Meeting House Cemetery.
Place of Origin
Mount Joy Twp. and Rapho Twp.
Credit
Generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Signature quilt, Bear's Paw or Goose Tracks pattern, made of pieced and appliqued solid red and white cottons. Bear's Paw blocks are 9.5-10", made of 9 squares. The four corner white squares each have 2 red triangles & a square appliqued onto white to created pattern. Each center patch has a hand-penned signature.
Upper left block reads: "THE PROPERTY of Elizabeth Mann of Manor Township County of LANCASTER PA 1852." Remaining 35 blocks bear signatures of relatives and friends from Lancaster, York and Union Counties. Design blocks separated by 4" wide pieced white sashing; several horizontal sashes misaligned. Red binding stitched to front, wrapped and stitched to back. Backing is the same white cotton.
Hand quilted in white. Design blocks have lattice except for parallel lined in signature patch. Vertical sashing has vine with large flowers and large round berries? on vine. Horizontal sashing has large flower flanked by two long leaves and a line of rings within.
Made by family and friends of Elizabeth B. Mann (1832-1906) before her 1854 marriage to Eli C. Shuman (1830-1916), son of Jacob and Fanny Shuman of Washington Boro. See NOTES
Provenance
Quilt passed from maker to daughter Ida Shuman Willis to daughter Miriam K. Willis (single) who, at age 85, sold the quilt to Michael Rizzuto, an appraiser in York Springs, Pa. He then sold to Heritage Center.
Top has a sprinkling of various small stains and light soil. Back has increased soil, many small stains with some very dark.
Structurally very good condition.
Object ID
P.88.13.1
Notes
Elizabeth and Eli moved in 1860 to a 200-acre farm called "Bunker Hill Farm" in the Good Hope area of Cumberland Co. They raised 10 children and were then buried at Hope United Methodist Church on the Carlisle Pike.
See file for listing of signature names, places and relationships.
Place of Origin
Manor Twp.
Credit
Generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Friendship quilt, Variable Star pattern, made for and/or by Sarah Jane Taylor and signed by her friends, family and relatives. Made of pieced, mostly small-scale cotton prints, front and back, except for 3-inch-square white signature patches.
Quilt consists of seven columns of eight large blocks (8.75" square) in each (total of 56). Each block has various printed cottons with a variant star at the center and a white signature patch at the center of each star. Some signatures signed by hand in ink and some stamped. Most are Lancaster County, some are other counties and several are states such as Indiana and New Jersey. Dates range from 1843 to 1850. Sarah Jane Taylor patch is a bird-heart-flower oval stamp in 5th column, 3rd from bottom.
Blocks separated by inner sash of green print with black stripes. A wider portion of this print forms left border. Batting is wool. Hand-quilted in white w/ undetermined floral/foliate design. Wide left border has a 3-line cable pattern. Backing is a cotton print of black "T" shapes on white ground.
Quilt cut at top and right side, probably with a loss of the entire column of eight squares (as suggested by Amy Finkel appraisal). Edge is then finished with front bound to back. Bottom and left edges have original 1/4" binding of printed cotton, backing brought forward.
Provenance
Descent from Sarah Jane Taylor Slemmer (June 15, 1834 -- Jan. 26, 1869) to sister Kate's daughter, niece Helen Haskell (born 1890) who married Charles F. Bowman, Sr.. Quilt given by their three children.
See file for: Correspondence and supporting info., retired photo loan file of Karen Weaver of Denver, CO, and copy of Amy Finkel's one-page appraisal.
Quilt has been cut along right side and top, with the front folded back. Possibly an entire column of 8 blocks was removed. Multiple brown stains and soiling overall. Wear to fabrics with discoloration; binding esp. worn with many areas of exposed batting along bottom and esp. left side. Backing has strong wear.
Object ID
G.91.09
Notes
Sarah Jane Taylor (1834-1869) married Washington Slemmer 25 Nov. 1862 in Rosemont Twp. in Delaware County, PA in Radnor Methodist Church (located on Main Line between Bryn Mawr and Villanova).
Place of Origin
Leacock Twp.
Credit
Given in memory of Helen Haskell Bowman by her children Helen Bowman Jermyn, Marian Bowman Weaver and Charles Franklin Bowman, Jr., 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.
Pen nib of gold. Marked on top is "MABIE / TODD & CO / NEW YORK / 4". This company had roots in the 1840s, but established as Mabie, Todd & Co. in New York around 1907. They were known for their gold nibs, pencils and pens.
Taped to card with "See Minutes" in pencil. Accompanying cut envelope is addressed to LCHS with postmark from Seattle, Washington 26 Sep 1976. In pen is written "Gold Pen Point Box 23." Crossed-out name below is "Ann Hoeck(?)".
Provenance
A present from Thaddeus Steven to Eli Lybe--with memorandum "Thaddeus Stevens pen. Presented to Eli Lybe by young Thad."
Lancaster Amish quilt is a Diamond in the Square patern, c. 1910. Herr writes: "The use of dark colors in similar tones suggests that this quilt was made in early 20th c."
Top: Plain- and twill-weave wool. Corners of inner border are pieced, and one of the four is comprised of two joined pieces. Blue binding.
Back: Black & white plain-weave cotton chambray.
Quilting: Interwoven feathers, each frond has a tulip at its end. Inner border has pumpkin seed flowers within a diamond pattern. At each corner is a 6-pointed star; all are double lined except on. Triangles are waffle quilted. Center diamond has a large star and 6 small stars within a feather wreath. Corners have a pattern of intersecting circles.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from the Holsteins for $9,000 on 6-12-80.
Lancaster Amish quilt, Diamond in the Square pattern w/ 9-patch variation. Early example of this rare 9-patch variation; one of the smallest quilts in this collection; uses rare double waffle/lattice quilting.
Top: plain- and twill weave wools. (9-patch pattern within center diamond has pieced blocks of gray, mauve, orange, purple, green and brown interspersed with solid purple blocks. Green diamonds, gray inner border and red outer border (woven of red wool and white silk, called henrietta cloth).
Back is pieced: two sections of plain-weave cotton chambray, one blue and white and one black and white.
Binding is faded into gray. Batting is wool.
Quilting: crosshatch in 9-patches, 8-petal flowers in blue blocks, rare (for Lancaster Amish) lattice (double waffle) in triangles, pumpkin seeds in inner border and feather scrolls in wide outer border.
Provenance
Purchased Nov. 12, 1984 by Esprit from Bettie Mintz of All of Us American Folk Art, Bethesda, MD. for $7,500.
Strong fading overall with significant dark liquid stains (mostly at one side). Binding worn with small areas of fraying, including three small sections (3/4", 2" and 4") repaired & protected by dark fabric sewn over them. Significant deterioration/thinning and breaking in green triangles and some holes. Red outer border has minor breaking as well. Condition report/sketch done by volunteer Aug. 2010. Note that many of small gray and two of the mauve and orange blocks in the Nine Patch unit are pieced from even smaller sections. Scraps used?
Lancaster Amish quilt, Diamond in the Square, Sunshine & Shadow variation, c. 1910. Machine assembled, hand-quilted with black thread, now brown.
Top: plain- and twill-weave and sateen wool and cotton. Multi-colored blocks including black. Outer border of deep cranberry. Patches reverse typical arrangement; in this example, teh solid field is the diamond and the surrounding triangles or "square" include the Sunshine and Shadow pattern. Light red binding is machine stitched to front, turned and whip-stitched to back. No inner border and no corner blocks.
Back: Three machine-joined widths of a tiny cotton check of brown printed on a cream ground. This type of cotton fabric was popular with Lancaster Amish quilters.
Quilting: Unusal motifs at centerfield and outer border. Center has a double-line 8-point star and pumpkin seeds, followed by a feather circle. Tiny baskets in each corner. Grid quilting on small squares. Outer border has corner lyre pattern as well as the accompanying fat feather or fern fronds around edges is unusual and suggests an early 20th c. date. Also the choice of cotton for the top is not common for this tiime.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from America Hurrah for $900 in April 1976, making it one of Tompkins' earliest quilt acquisitions. It was hung in the executive office's lobby at Esprit Corp.
Some fading to outer border; extreme fading to front side of binding. Black quilting thread is now brown at front. Backing has been torn at the gaps between 2"strips of velcro that had been sewn directly onto quilt.
Object ID
P.02.51.26
Notes
Published in "A Gallery of Amish Quilts", p. 65.
POSSIBLE ATTRIBUTION:
Fieldwork: Rachel Pellman visited Sadie Esh (Mrs. Elmer D.) of Harvest Drive in Ronks on 2-27-04. Sadie identified plate 28 in Esprit book as her quilt that Mary Stoltzfus Lapp had made for her when she (Sadie) was 15 or 16 yrs. old (in 1935 or 36). Sadie was born 1920. As a widow, she sold the quilt in the 1970s to finance a new stove, not recalling to whom or for how much. Pellman made a follow-up visit Dec. 1, 2004 with Sadie L. (Beiler) Esh, #2482 in Fisher book. Sadie believes "Grossmommy" Mary S. Lapp #3219, 1875-1955 made this quilt.
