Air raid curtain or black-out curtain, made of black cotton, apparently a sheet that has been adapted for this purpose. Curtain is hemmed all four sides and has an offset (commercially sewn) seam running vertically. Five unevenly-spaced brass rings have been hand-stitched along top to hang a a window for blacking out any light in the house.
Made or purchased for us in the donor's home by her parents, Henry Keiper Long and Helen Hamaker Long. Her father was a member of Civil Defense during WWII; whenever an air raid siren went off, he would exit the house to check that all his neighbors had blacked out their windows to allow no evidence of light. The Longs' air raid curtain was hung over the dressing room window since the family used a weak light within this room only. After the air raid, her father would go off to join other members of the civil defense team to report findings and to drink. This group was headed by director J. Hale Steinman. Donor indicated her belief that the men used these occasions as an excuse to get together with buddies to drink and socialize.
The Long family lived in a house built by Mr. Long at 1431 Hunsecker Road on the eastern edge of Manheim Twp.
(Written by Wendell Zercher)
Provenance
Donor, Mrs. Nancy L. Gingrich.
Date Range
Early 1940's
Storage Location
LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA
Storage Room
DAC
Storage Wall
Island 2
Storage Cabinet
Unit 13
Storage Shelf
Shelf 3
Storage Container
Box 0059
Object Name
Curtain, Window
Length (cm)
35.56
Length (ft)
1.1666666667
Length (in)
14
Width (cm)
469.9
Width (ft)
15.4166666667
Width (in)
185
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2005-06-22
Condition Notes
Very good condition except for slight wear at crotch with seam somewhat separated.
One of two identical white china high-heeled 19th century woman's shoes, with molded floral decoration around entire shoe. Raised flowers trim front of shoe with a tied bow centered above. Lavishly painted with heavy lustrous gold paint around back and sides of shoe as well as the bow and centers of raised flowers. Printed on top of the shoe front is: "Souvenir/ of /Lancaster/ Pa."
The number "59" is handpainted on bottom of heel. Impressed underneath instep is: "A" over "1924"
One of two identical white china high-heeled 19th century woman's shoes, with molded floral decoration around entire shoe. Raised flowers trim front of shoe with a tied bow centered above. Lavishly painted with heavy lustrous gold paint around back and sides of shoe as well as the bow and centers of raised flowers. Printed on top of the shoe front is: "Souvenir/ of /Lancaster/ Pa."
The number "59" is handpainted on bottom of heel. Impressed underneath instep is: "A" over "1924"
Flat tin 6-pointed star pattern or template with1/2" diameter hole at center. Used for creating raised, sculpted plushwork (see Amish Arts by Patricia Herr, pp. 44-55).
Quilt is white cotton, top and back, with appliques of potted floral design done in solid red and a green with lesser yellow highlights. Pattern is often called "Pot of Flowers." Center is divided into quadrants with an identical large flowering & fruiting potted plant supporting 4 birds in each, creating a symmetrical design.Ornate pot has handles and the branches have leaves of stylized oak, tulip and cucumber. Border has a pair of wide-spreading flowering & fruiting plants on each side and a bird perched on a smaller sprig at each corner.
Blue is used only on the tail of the four corner birds. Red cherries cluster around branches on each plant; yellow ones at branch tips only. Cherries are cotton-stuffed balls stitched to quilt top only. Chain-stitch embroidered stems done in white thread.
Quilting is done in a fine grid (about 1/2") of blue contrasting thread over entire surface. Binding is red and batting is sparse or nonexistent..
Attributed to Sarah Annie Maisey Marker Smith (22 February 1883 - 22 December 1965). Married twice, she had 7 children & made quilts for many if not all. The family called them "cherry quilts." See Notes.
Provenance
Donor reports quilt was acquired by his wife's parents, Lynn and Lois Langdon, who lived in Idaho and were antiques collectors. At an auction in Oregon state (c.1987-88), the quilt was described as a "Pennsylvania wedding quilt." The Langdons purchased it, thinking it would be appropriate for the Lancaster bed & breakfast "The Patchwork Inn" run by donor and his late wife. (Donor's wife, Joanne, died some time ago. He remarried and they continued the B&B for another 10 years.) The Martins had a collection of over 100 quilts in this B&B. Now retired, donor is finding homes for many of the quilts.
Bio. info on maker Sarah Annie was obtained by Trish Herr from Morgan Anderson (see file). Quiltmaker lived on Easterday Rd, north of Myersville, MD.
Red binding and many stuffed cherries heavily worn. Loss of 2 cherries on one of the large quadrant plants. Minor soiling with some liquid stains, mostly around edges. Reverse has light acid burn at some fold lines. Along one quilt edge are spaced eleven minor holes, probably where tacked up for display in B&B.
Object ID
G.02.47.01
Notes
Applique quilts such as this cherry type "Pot of Flowers" design with its color palette of red and green were being made circa 1850s-1870. Red and green applique quilts were popular in the East, then spread westward where they remained popular during this time, then faded. Two more Pot of Flowers are dated 1902 and 1904, but really had a significant resurgence in the1920s and 1930s. See Connie Nordstroms, "One Pot of Flowers Quilt Pattern -- Blossoming through Centuries", Vol. 23 of the Research Papers of the AQSG, 2002 in file.
Place of Origin
Myersville, Frederick County, Maryland
Role
Quiltmaker
Credit
Given by the W. Lee Martin family in memory of Joanne M. Martin, Heritage Center Collection
All-white quilt made with unusual arrangement of pieced cotton panels, both machine and hand stitched.
Quilt top and quilt back are essentially identical; all plain-weave cotton except for two 8" wide side panels of ribbed weave and bottom 4.5" wide panel of ribbed basket weave. Centerfield has variously joined panels: at center is 13.5" wide panel flanked by two 9" wide panels and all surrounded by a 9" wide border. Very unusual piecing throughout: overlapping seams, hemmed seams and corners that do not align in conventional manner.
Quilting designs: center panel has 3 feather wreaths on a grid field, and the remaining plain-weave panels each have an undulating feather design on a field of diagonal lines. Cotton batting is deteriorated into clumps from laundering and cotton seeds scattered throughout.
Provenance
Inherited by donor from unknown Mueller family member.
Moderate wear; minor scattered stains, esp. at periphery. Most notable are two tiny blood stains, now faded. Minor separation at several seams, esp. middle panel.
Object ID
G.03.26.01
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Paul A. Mueller, Jr., Heritage Center Collection
Quilt with Broken Star pattern, cottons with colors indicating Ohio Amish origin (appraiser suggests PA due to greens & pinks). Machine pieced and hand quilted. All solid colors, some polished.
Central large star of yellow, pink, green and lavender on a navy ground. Enclosed by a thin 1.5" wide pieced border of pink and green as well as on outer border of navy, about 7.5" wide. Boldly finished with a sawtooth applique binding of yellow.
Backing is two different lavender solid cottons. Printing on a selvage edge has "LANCASTER KALBURNIE" visible in several areas. Batting is a thin cotton.
Dense quilting is finely done in a contrasting color. Star has parallel lines with feather wreaths in between. Undulating feather motif and grid on both outer border and corners of the large square of navy ground.
Other examples of Broken Star: p. 115 in Eve Granick, The Amish Quilt; p. 52 ff. in Pellman & Pellman, The World of Amish Quilts
Made by an unknown Amish quiltmaker in Ohio or Pennsylvania.
Amish Sunshine and Shadow quilt with small 1 1/2" blocks composing center field pattern within a purple wool border 10 1/4" wide and a purple cotton binding 1 1/4" wide. Multi-colored small squares (including black) in center field are a mix of wools and cottons.
Hand-quilted in black. Center field has diagonal grid; border has floral undulating vine with ends tied in a bow at each corner. Leaves similar to rose leaves, but flowers have six rounded petals.
Backing is a medium-scale print of polychrome military medals with a dangling Maltese Cross, all on a field of grayish blue.
Several small, light stains/soil. Two small frayed holes of 1/8", each in border but opposite sides of quilt. One larger repaired hole in small black square. Significant fade pattern resembling tic-tac-toe grid, but with 3 lines each direction.
Object ID
G.08.17.04
Credit
Gift of Joanna S. Rose, Heritage Center Collection
Amish quilt, Sunshine and Shadow pattern. Centerfield is pieced 1.625" squares of rayon, wool crepe and cotton sateen. It has a 12" wide border of blue rayon, except for wool corners.
Hand quilted in dark thread. A grid pattern runs through centerfield squares and scrolling feathers in the outer border. Batting is cotton. Binding is 7/8" wide in an eggplant colored rayon. Quilt backing is a solid gray cotton.
A small "L" is cross-stitched in corner of back.
Attributed to a member of the King family.
Provenance
Donor purchased quilt from dealer Jackie Rothfus, who stated quilt was "made by a member of the King family of Lancaster County."
Published in Quilting Traditions by Trish Herr, p. 56. Documented in Quilt Harvest as #406A.
Paint and herringbone, chain, buttonhole, stem, and running stitches on commercial cotton fabric, with commercial synthetic fringe. Machine-pieced top in Diamond in a Square type pattern on white background. Sashing to make diamond and square forms are pieced with blue and white cotton. Blue pieces are outlined in blue running stitch on their short sides. Points of square and diamond are white fabric, with blue running stitch in square form.
Painted floral wreath in center diamond, with an embroidered bow in blue buttonhole. Wreath includes five roses in pink and red; greenery; blue, pink, yellow, purple, and orange flowers; and red berried sprigs.
Triangular areas, outside of diamond, each contain 4 painted flowers. One blue flower in each outside corner, with orange center. Three flowers along diamond edge. One five-lobed yellow flower, with orange center. One large pink and red rose, with greenery. One purple five-lobed flower, with orange center. Floral vine and leaf outer border. Five-lobed pink flowers worked in blanket stitch, with stem stitch highlights. Vine worked in green herringbone stitch. Leaves in green blanket stitch, with chain and stem highlights. Machine-applied commercial synthetic twisted fringe on four sides.
Back is machine-pieced white cotton. Shows evidence of embroidered green leaves, blue running stitch and ribbon, and pink highlights.
Original inventory number--630.
Provenance
Collected by George Lyster in Lancaster Co. Intended as a gift, entire collection remains on loan.
Appliqued and pieced cottons, cotton stem and French knot embroidery, cotton quilting thread. Nine-block of appliqued back view of boys in a 3 x 3 arrangement on white background. Each boy's hat, shirt, and pants worked in applique. Pants are solid fabric, including the following colors: lavender, blue, pink, green, yellow, red, and tan. Shirts are various floral fabrics. Crown of hat, crossed suspenders, buttons, hands, feet, bucket, and shovel worked in black stem. Rivets on shovel worked in French knots in black. Outline of buttocks worked in yellow or black stem. Blocks separated by 2 1/2" grid of blue sashing. Four, nine patch blocks measuring 2 1/2", in white and blue at center block corners. Blue border encasing appliqued blocks is 2". White border is 5" wide at top and sides. 8 5/8"wide at bottom. Outer blue border and binding is 1 1/4". Backing is unknown because it is mounted on muslin. Front, back, and cotton gauzelike filling quilted with white cotton thread. Appliqued blocks with grid-like quilting diagonally across corners. Quilting on blue sashing is diagonal. Shell and rope quilting in white border, with grid-like quilting across the corners.
Herr noted this quilt is not traditional for the Amish. At the time, applique was not the norm. Printed fabric was not used in boys' shirts. Human images rarely appear on items found in the Amish home.
York Co. Doc. Project book notes "During the 1930s, applique patterns w/ sentimental depictions of animals, objects, and people became popular. These include standard patterns such as "Sunbonnet Sue", "Overall Bill," butterflies, flowers and dogs." The pattern name "Overall Bill" is obviously the one used in this Amish-made quilt. (See p. 34 for pattern example)
Original inventory number--623.
On exhibit in new Amish installation, 2nd floor City Hall, 2009-2011.
White fabric on top is discolored with slight overall soiling. Dark spotting on center block. Dark spots and holes in lower right block. Stains in lower center block. Applique stitching is failing in multiple places. Back condition is unknown, since it is backed with muslin.
Thimble with an open top, made of unknown non-ferrous alloy. German made. Sides are dimpled with tiny hexagons. At top is a very narrow plain band and at bottom is a raised edge. There is no top to cover finger tip.
Inscriptions: On opposite sides of the raised edge at bottom are : "GERMANY" and "9".
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Minimal wear; slight darkening/tarnish at upper half of exterior.
Object ID
G.05.15.44
Notes
See another example of this ring found on internet in this file. Iguala is a town near the renowned silvermaking town of Taxco (near the west coast of Mexico) where William Spratling, in the 1930s, famously reinstituted the silver industry and craftsmanship that had died centuries before.
Place of Origin
Germany
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Embroidery scissors in stork form, chrome plated. Beak of bird forms the blades while bird's body leads down to feet resting on handles of oval shaped rings.
Stamped "73" on inside of each blade. One blade has "HORAWOR-"? / CUTLERY CO. / GERMANY" while other blades has "GARLAND / CUTLERY CO."
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Folding rule of boxwood with brass hinges and ends. One-foot rule has a brass hinge every three inches, resulting in a compact unit of four wood lengths. Both sides of rule are calibrated with inches; both read from right to left.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Cast iron ashtray in rectangular form, sloping sides, sunken top with raised sides having a textured surface with two corner indentations for cigarettes. Opposite end of indentation is a grouping of four geese, fully formed, attached to top surface with screws. Entire surface is bronzed with a pattern of oblique stripes on sides.
Marked "144" on bottom. The Hubley catalog "Metal Art Goods" lists this ashtray as #144 and named "Goosie Goosie Gander." The description notes it has "an unusual bronze finish".
Provenance
Owned by J. Roland Gilbert (1888-1940) and inherited by his daughter the donor (1916-1992). Donor writes: "acquired in the late '20s or early '30s and 'possibly' a gift from Mr. Joseph Breneman, a Hubley Exec." J. Roland Gilbert was president of Lancaster Press Inc. and general manager of the New Era Publishing Co.
Needle book made of printed heavy paper, folded to resemble a book. Advertising item lists coal business on inside.
Blue printed cover has the words "The/HOME NEEDLE/CASE" below an image of little girl with bonnet, holding roses against a floral background. Back cover has a scene of tree, pond, and house in distance. At bottom is "PRINTED IN U.S.A."
Inside at front is an affixed paper packet of needles "SHARP & SON." Five needles remaining. Right side of book interior has printed advertising message with a cartoon image of man driving an early coal truck vehicle. The business is called "UPPER LEHIGH COAL" above image and below image is "SEAMAN & MARTENS" of Atlantic City, NJ.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Thimble of mold-blown clear glass. Classic cone shape but with a frilly scalloped bottom rim. Slightly domed top is dimpled, but walls are smooth.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
See another example of this ring found on internet in this file. Iguala is a town near the renowned silvermaking town of Taxco (near the west coast of Mexico) where William Spratling, in the 1930s, famously reinstituted the silver industry and craftsmanship that had died centuries before.
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
