Tulip block quilt of cottons. Blocks are set on point with tulip blocks arranged in 4 columns of 5, alternating with plain white blocks.Tulip design has 3 blooms with 4 petals each. Blooms are a red floral print and stems w/ leaves are a green abstract print.Tulip blocks pieced in 7 patches and stem w/ leaves are applique. White borders are 4.75" wide except for 9.5" bottom. Back is white and wraps edges toward front to form narrow binding. Cotton batting separated.
Cumberland County, likely Shippensburg area
Hand quilted with white thread following still-visible pencil lines. Outer borders have an undulating feather interspersed with an 8-petal flower. The tulip blocks have horizontal parallel lines and the white blocks have a feather wreath. All quilting has double lines.
See Provenance & Notes.
Provenance
Letter of 6/5/1948, in file, from donor's great aunt Nannie (Nancy) Foreman Spangler, states the tulip patches were made by donor's great great great Grandmother Culp, being "at least 150 years old" and that she (Nannie) "had them quilted about sixty years ago" (c.1890?). Trish Herr believes the prints used in the tulip blocks are circa 1840s, confirming the story.
Thus, patches were made by the mother of Mary Culp Atherton (1812-1849), she passed to Mary, then to her daughter Ann Margaret Atherton Foreman (1840-1925) to daughter Nannie Foreman Spangler (1859-1951) who had quilt assembled, to grand niece & donor Margaret Wagner Aungst (1918- 2012).
Generally good with some brown scattered stains and a large stained area at middle of left edge. Apparently rarely washed due to still very visible pencil lines. Many seams in piecing are separating. Backing has acid burn on fold lines and section that was folded and likely touching wood of blanket chest.
Object ID
G.08.03.03
Notes
Nancy Foreman was the maternal aunt of donor's father, Marshall Wagner. Printout of digital photo taken by Trish of the Foreman sisters is in this file. Aunt Nannie Foreman Spangler is positioned at two o'clock. They were raised in Shippensburg where their father James K. Foreman was Sheriff. Nannie married Henry Spangler & lived in Phila. where Henry was a professor at U. of Penn. They had one child, also Henry.
Donor states the Culp gr gr gr grandmother who pieced the quilt patches is unknown at present, altho she believes descent went from a great great great grandmother Culp to an Atherton to the Foreman family. (Correct - wrz). Donor may have records or photos in storage, but unlikely to discover soon. (Deceased 2012)
Place of Origin
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Credit
Gift of Margaret C. Aungst, Heritage Center Collection
