Copper sculpting/modeling tool hand fashioned to create a flattened, spoon-like handle leading to a rounded shank ending in another flattened end bent at the tip to create a short 1/2" extension bent to nearly a right angle for working in clay or plaster. End is squared off. Crude but effective tool for sculpting bears marks of hammering, especially underside of flattened handle. Used by Lloyd Mifflin. Tool presumed to have been fashioned by Lloyd Mifflin himself from a length of copper. Provenance: Mifflin to the Minnich sisters to the groundskeeper at Norwood to donors.
Pieced quilt of silks, cotton batting, glazed cotton back, cut in 2 halves, made by Quaker Deborah Simmons Coates, wife of Lindley Coates (1794-1856). Has 19 horizontal bands of dress silks (many produced by Harmonist Community) in alternating triangles arranged in Birds in the Air or Flying Geese pattern using the template method. Large triangles of varying patterns alternate with large triangles with 3 smaller appliqued triangles of contrasting patterns. Colors are browns, tans, beiges, electric and royal blue, peach and green. Each quilt half has a green silk binding on the three outside edges, and tan silk on the inner vertical cut edge. Quilting patterns are clamshell, diamond, cross in a square and diagonals.
At quilt center is a cream-colored triangle with an abolitionist stamp depicting a kneeling enslaved Black male in chains over the words: "Deliver me from the oppression/ of man." This stamped triangle was cut in two when quilt was divided; image now hidden by modern binding. According to Cuesta Benberry research, this image of a kneeling enslaved person originated with the English ceramic firm of Wedgwood in the late 1700s. See items 08.242 and 42.76.11 in the collectiosn of Metropolitan Museum of Art for seals with a similar motif. The Wedgwood family were ardent abolitionists, decorating various ceramics with this image, resulting in its rapid adoption by American anti-slavery groups. Used in many forms and media over the years, it remains the logo of the still-existing Pennsylvania Abolition Society and appears on organization's official publications.
Lindley and Deborah Coates, of West Grove, Chester Co., married there on 12/16/1819 but lived near Christiana in Sadsbury Twp., Lancaster Co. They attended Sadsbury Friends Meeting House near Christiana. Ardent abolitionists, their home was what is now designated station #5 on the Underground Railway. Lindley became President of the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1840, before William Lloyd Garrison. Deborah Coates became a Hicksite Quaker minister according to historian Beverly Wilson Palmer. Hicksites were the more radical Quakers, named after leader Elias Hicks.
Provenance
Quilt passed to son Simmons (1821-1862) & wife Emeline Jackson. (Deborah Coates lived w/ widow Emeline on her Chester Co. farm (Evergreen Hall in West Grove) for many years following Simmon's 1862 death. See census records). Descent to their daughter Elizabeth Jackson Coates who married Marriott Brosius, U.S. congressman from Lancaster. The quilt was then divided between their two daughters, donor's maternal grandmother Graceanna Brosius Biddle and her sister Gertrude Coho Reinhartson. The two halves were then reunited when given to donor, Marjorie Ayars Laidman. Deborah S. Coates was donor's great great great grandmother.
Overall good condition. Two halves of quilt (with recent inside binding on cut edges) are "mounted" on cotton muslin, side-by-side. Silks show significant deterioration -- cracking, splitting and abrasion -- with some losses. Binding also has deterioration with some losses. (See 1985-86 condition report by conservator Linnea Davis.)
Documented in Quilt Harvest #448-B (records in Archives).
Object ID
G.86.05
Place of Origin
Sadsbury Twp.
Credit
Gift of Marjorie A. Laidman, Heritage Center Collection
"Col. Thompson's Battalion of Pennsylvania Riflemen" commemorative plate. In center, around rifleman:" Edward Hand, Lieutenant Colonel; Captains James Ross, Lancaster; Robert Cluggage, Bedford; Michael Doudle, York; George Nagel, Berks; James Chambers, Cumberland; John Lowdon, Northumberland; William Hendricks, Cumberland; Abraham Miller, Northampton; Matthew Smith, Lancaster. Lancaster County 1775-1975"
On back, 2 "RWP" seals; + 2 additional seals in ovals. "U.S.A." impressed twice.
Rhythm band uniform handmade by Lizzie Heistand Gehman (Mrs. Rev. Gilbert T. Gehman) for her 2nd grade daughter Griselda A. Gehman, for a school program celebrating National Music Week on May 2,1932. Three-piece outfit has:
A. Light yellow cotton flannel top with front opening secured with snap closures.Dark yellow cotton shoulder straps cross in front and and attach to waist with snaps. Cape of same dark yellow hangs from back of shoulders.
B. Trousers of light yellow cotton flannel with drawstring tied at side of waist. Two side stripes of dark yellow cotton. "Griselda Gehman" written on drawstring.
C. Beret made with the dark yellow cotton.
See photo collections for large B&W photo of Griselda with her 2nd grade class posing on steps of school building, dressed in uniforms and holding rhythm instruments,
Provenance
Descent from Griselda to sister-in-law Alma Shelly, the donor.
Top: Length is 22" with cape Width is 15" at waist.
Trousers: Length is 26" Width is 15" at waist.
Beret: Diameter is 10"
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2017-02-23
Condition Notes
Top and trousers both have some color bleeding of dark yellow onto light yellow. Top and trousers both have some minor soil.
Object ID
2017.001
Notes
See two related Griselda Gehman items in "Related" field.
Rev. Gehman of Cookman Methodist Episcopal Church of Columbia, died suddenly of a ruptured appendix in 1932. Mrs. Gehman and Griselda then moved away to Washington D.C. to live with grandparents.
See obituary for Griselda in file.
Place of Origin
Columbia
Related Item Notes
See photo collections for large B&W photo of Griselda with her 2nd grade class posing on steps of school building, dressed in uniforms and holding rhythm instruments.
See archives for "Jofa" book, a handwritten journal of Griselda's life from birth until the sudden death of father in 1932. Entries written by father, Rev. Gilbert Gehman.
Credit
Gift of Alma Shelly in memory of Javan, only child of Maynard and Griselda Shelly
Empire style chest of drawers, mahogany veneer on pine or poplar. Four drawers, each with two pressed glass pulls & keyhole and each with bookmatched veneer of highly figured mahogany. The top drawer overhangs lower drawers and has a curved front (top-to-bottom), while the three lower drawers have flat fronts. Freestanding ionic columns flank drawers with carved plinths. Sunken panel construction at sides. Two extensively carved paw feet in front; two ball feet in back.
In April 1982, the entire case was disassembled and discovered to be signed and dated by Markley, behind the left front stile above the column. (Not seen in 2011. Inscription appears on top of thick drawer divider supporting top drawer.) Also stamped by maker within oval on upper surface of top drawer bottom: "J.F. MARKLEY/ CABINETMAKER/ Locust Street/ COLUMBIA."
According to file, the 1830-1846 Columbia Borough tax records list Markley variously as a doctor, cabinetmaker, contractor or gent.
See also a gentleman's dressing table with mirror, P00.39.01.
Piece of veneer 1.5" x 0.5" is missing from top right above drawer. Small spots and scratches overall, and two large cracks on top: one near front right corner, and one at rear center, partially filled in. The left pull on the second drawer up from the bottom is split in half; held in place with string windings.
Two toes on the right front foot were pieced and recarved by Joseph Molz of Lancaster City. Some veneer was also pieced.
Object ID
P.77.02
Notes
More info in file. There was a discrepancy in the research with two different Jacob Markleys. It appears that the maker of this chest of drawers was Jacob Fry Markley (1800-1854), born in boro of Strasburg to parents Jacob Markley, Sr. (1765-1829) and Barbara Fry Markley. Jacob Sr. was also a cabinetmaker.
Son Jacob is listed with different occupations over the years. He was living in Columbia in 1830 and possibly as late as 1841. He moved to Spring Grove, Philadelphia County by 1850 and is listed as a druggist in the 1850 Census with wife Ann & 5 children. "JACOB F. MARKLEY M.D." is on his tombstone in the Hatboro Cemetery. Thus Jacob Markley claimed to be a cabinetmaker, druggist and doctor (Doctor is perhaps what he called a pharmacist).
Place of Origin
Columbia
Role
Cabinetmaker
Credit
Gift of the James Hale Steinman Foundation, Heritage Center Coll
Pennsylvania Bicentennial Commemorative Plate. Armetale, shiny top surface. A 5.75" central design with raised state of PA with liberty bell in northwest and atom in southeast. "1776-1976" at top. Keystone in center at bottom between "Pennsylvania Bicentennial" in raised letters.
2 RWP seals on back: "Wilton-Columbia, PA" stamped. Circle with "C". Additional seal in oval (a molder).
150th Anniversary Commemorative plate. "Lancaster Theological Seminary - 150th Anniversary - 1825...1975" around Armetele plate edge. Recessed letters are black. Center contains a raised tower at the seminary, highlighted with black/recessed areas. Top surface is smooth and shiny in contrast with the black surface that's a coarser texture.
Seals on back: RWP (2 times), 3 additional stamped seals on reverse.
Armetale metal cup wider at top, tapers to 2 inches at base. Band of 3 lines beginning .75" from the top. Round design with "1776-1976" above the state of PA with a Liberty Bell and an atom impressed. Circling below the state is "Pennsylvania Bicentennial" with a keystone between the words. Three stamps near the top edge in black: One is in an oval; "RWP" in a circle; and a "C" in a circle.
