LancasterHistory Research Collections

Collection

History Collection

Title

Paper Quilt Pattern

Description

A reel-type quilt pattern in 9 pieces cut from 2 different yellow papers is attached to a large sheet of newsprint. A central square with concave sides with a horizontal oval shape cut out in its middle is attached to the paper with long stitches of white thread. Four arcs of the same yellow paper surround the central piece. Four 6-plumed flourishes of a glossy yellow paper project from tips/corners of the central piece. These are also stitches in brown and white threads to the newspaper backing.

Donor claimed this is a Lancaster County piece and a Lancaster newspaper.

(One article ends with: " May 8, 1858.")

Note: "Buchanan" is named in an article on this newspaper: far left, 7.5 inches from the bottom. ..."Buchanan the servile tool of..."

Old number in Heritage Center file: "D.S.11"

Date Range

1858 circa

Storage Location

LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room

DAC

Storage Cabinet

Cabinet 2

Storage Shelf

Shelf 3

Storage Container

Box 0539

Object Name

Pattern, Quilt

Height (cm)

46.355

Height (ft)

1.5208333333

Height (in)

18.25

Width (cm)

45.72

Width (ft)

1.5

Width (in)

18

Condition

Good

Condition Date

2023-06-01

Condition Notes

Pattern is stitched to an old newspaper: brown on fold; foxing on newsprint overall, heavy on left side (front). Holes in newsprint at places. Tears on upper left edge.

Object ID

2023.001.031

Accession Number

2023.001

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Collection

Decorative Arts Collection: Textiles

Title

Princess Feather Quilt

Description

Princess feather quilt owned by the donor’s wife, Shirley A. (Swisher) Deimler, and made about 1864 by Susan Kline who lived in the Quarryville, PA area. Shirley A. (Swisher) Deimler’s grandparents, Emma (Kline) Swisher and Harry Swisher, also from Quarryville, received it from Susan. Later, they passed it to Shirley’s parents, Grace (Shultz) Swisher and LeRoy Swisher. Grace and LeRoy and their family lived in Elizabethtown, PA. In February 1984, the quilt was given to Shirley A. (Swisher) Deimler by her father LeRoy Swisher.

Date Range

1864

Creator

Susan Kline

Storage Location

LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room

DAC

Storage Wall

Island 3

Storage Cabinet

Unit 14

Storage Shelf

Top Shelf

Object Name

Quilt

Condition

Stained

Condition Date

2021-04-28

Object ID

2021.001.001

Accession Number

2021.001

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Collection

Wheatland

Description

Baskets pattern quilt of cotton. Thirty full-size blocks set on point have baskets made of pieced small scale pink print with tiny red squares and white lines that alternate with solid blocks of another small scale pink print with tiny foliate motifs. Baskets are all hand pieced except for the arched basket handles which are appliqued. Basket made of pink on white ground, using triangles for the body, trapezoid for the foot and arch for the handle. Basket handles vary as to which pink print was used. Applied binding of white cotton is machine sewn.

Hand quilted designs in white thread are parallel lines aligned in different directions. An exception is the arched quilting that echoes the arc of the basket handle with multiple lines.

White cotton back using two panels.

Provenance

Quilt was owned by donor's great aunt (unknown). Donor was president of The Dodge Cork Co. at 301 E. Liberty St.

Date Range

ca. 1850

Year Range From

1850

Year Range To

1875

Storage Location

LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room

DAC

Storage Wall

Island 5

Storage Cabinet

Unit 39

Subcategory

Bedding

Object Name

Quilt

Material

Cotton

Length (in)

92.5

Width (in)

78

Condition

Poor

Condition Date

2003-07-15

Condition Notes

Light damage causing strong fading of pink print, esp. bordering three of the sides. Multiple stains and areas of acid burn on front and even more stains and back. Some seams are failing and opening.

Object ID

W.35.49.1

Accession Number

W.35.49

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Collection

Wheatland

Description

All cotton block quilt of pieced blocks alternating with white blocks. Solid white blocks have quilted feather wreaths; alternate blocks have a geometric design of triangles and squares creating a Wild Goose Chase pattern with solid white and a green print with tiny black dots. The Wild Goose Chase pattern of green triangles on white ground is pieced into the shape of an "X".

Border consists of 3 narrow strips of green and white, with green in the center. Binding is green.

Quilting is hand done in white: Feather wreaths have parallel diagonals in center. Most of quilt also has parallel diagonals; pieced blocks have triangles and small-scale grid on center square patch.

Provenance

Unknown before donor. Amy (1891-1974) was daughter of John E. and Anna M. Cochran and married Dudley Brown, a realtor, in 1888.

Year Range From

1700

Year Range To

1750

Last Owner

Brown, Mrs. Dudley

Storage Location

Wheatland, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room

Southwest Bedchamber

Storage Wall

South Wall

Storage Cabinet

Bedstead

Storage Shelf

Bedstead Surface

Subcategory

Bedding

Object Name

Quilt

Oither Names

Quilt, Wild Goose Chase

Material

Cotton

Length (in)

97

Width (in)

87

Condition

Fair

Condition Date

2003-10-31

Condition Notes

Some staining and tearing. Large holes and tears along sides.

Object ID

W.1945.009.001

Accession Number

W.1945.009

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Collection

Wheatland

Description

All cotton quilt of large blocks, each with white ground and floral applique done with "broderie Perse" technique. Wreath designs alternate with clustered floral sprays. Blocks have sashing and border using a green floral print in a Maryland Stairstep design. Wide outer border of white ground is filled with same floral applique technique, but arranged in an undulating line. A final narrow outer border uses the same green Maryland Stairstep design. White cotton backing is brought forward and hand stitched to make binding.

Has a wide range of hand quilting done with white thread in center blocks: wreaths, various flowers, potted plants, leaves, lattice, parallel diagonals and a grid. Outer white border is filled with a pattern of tiny fans.

Tradition states quilt was started in 1795 and took two generations to finish, circa 1830.

Provenance

File notes "Presented by Mr. Harry Hostetter for Mrs. A.K. Hostetter" (Ida L. Kegerreis Hostetter)

Date Range

1795-1830

Year Range From

1800

Year Range To

1850

Last Owner

Hostetter, Ida L. Kegerreis

Storage Location

LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room

DAC

Storage Wall

Island 5

Storage Cabinet

Unit 39

Subcategory

Bedding

Object Name

Quilt

Material

Cotton

Length (in)

122.5

Width (in)

120

Condition

Fair

Condition Date

2003-10-31

Condition Notes

Areas of bad fading,especially along border, a variety of stains including large liquid stains, soiling, white paint drips, and various holes and deteriorated fabric. Appliqued chintz in some center blocks is badly deteriorated with strong losses, especially 3 of the blocks and at one end.

Object ID

W.47.4

Accession Number

W.47.4

Less detail

Collection

Wheatland

Description

Crazy quilt made of velvet, silk, ribbon and floss. Eight-inch wide dark green lustrous border has mitered corners and embroidered morning glory vines on three sides (lavender, green, yellow). Center has a wide variety of crazy patches of silk, satin, velvet, ribbon, solids and prints.

Some patches are painted and some have embroidered motifs. Embroidered decoration includes snowflakes, vines, zig-zags, etc. Unusual that most decorative embroidery stitches run alongside seams and not on top. Quilt is decorated and secured with bows of dark purple ribbon ties. Many patches have been "repaired" with an overlay of fabric due to deterioraton.

Date Range

c. 1860

Year Range From

1857

Year Range To

1875

Storage Location

LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room

DAC

Storage Wall

Island 5

Storage Cabinet

Unit 39

Subcategory

Bedding

Object Name

Quilt

Material

Silk / Velvet / Ribbon / Floss

Length (in)

88

Width (in)

64.5

Condition

Fair

Condition Date

2016-02-19

Condition Notes

Some fabrics shredding, one nearly bare showing white foundation fabric underneath. Multiple repairs to deteriorated patches by applying an overlay of additional fabric. Some staining on back.

Object ID

W.1961.015.001

Notes

Reportedly made by donor's grandmother or great-grandmother from swatches of ladies' gowns made to be worn at James Buchanan's 1857 inaugural ball. Card in file states: Donor's "grandmother or great grandmother was on her honeymoon at that time and a friend, the dressmaker who made many of the ball gowns, gave her the scraps of material for a quilt as a memory of the occasion coupled with her honeymoon." At the end of note are two names, Mrs. Michael D. Smyser (Magdalene) and Mrs. Howard Overmiller (Helen), of Spring Grove in York Co. Relationship is unexplained. Helen Menges Baer Overmiller lived 1898-1975. Magdalene Smyser was much older, 1847-1924.

Place of Origin

Pennsylvania

Accession Number

W.1961.015

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Collection

Wheatland

Description

Cotton quilt. On white ground are 9 large blocks delineated by sashing, a yellow print with a vine of red berries. Within each block is a geometric design made of overlapping strips of a red check print arranged like an angular lovers knot.

Back is white cotton with three inked stencils / prints on cloth in blue. First print has flowers with a bird and '30/2' ; the second print has scrollwork around a shield with 'Superior Longcloth' ; the third print has an ormate design around "CLYDEWORKS. BLEACH & FINISH / S.H. GREENE / PROVIDENCE R.I."

Quilting patterns? Binding? Cataloging unfinished.

Provenance

Unknown. No records.

Date Range

1850-1890

Storage Location

LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room

DAC

Storage Wall

Island 5

Storage Cabinet

Unit 39

Subcategory

Bedding

Search Terms

James Buchanan Presidential Library

Object Name

Quilt

Material

Cotton

Length (in)

97

Width (in)

94

Condition

Good

Condition Notes

Staining on back.

Object ID

W.1989.054.001

Notes

Unknown history of ownership.

Accession Number

W.1989.054

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Collection

Wheatland

Description

Quilt, Bars w/ Nine Patch Variation. Centerfield has 7 bars 10.5-11.5" wide; 4 have 9 Patch design, on point, and 3 have unpieced chintz. Chintz has aqua background with baskets of yellow and red, and flowers & leaves of teal, white, red, and yellow. Outer border, 10.5" wide, is royal blue and white with rows of blue bells and ferns.

Hand quilted with white thread using a grid pattern. Bound by joining back and front together at edge with running stitch. White coarse cotton back is 3 panels.

Provenance

Unknown. No records found.

Date Range

1830-1860

Year Range From

1830

Year Range To

1860

Storage Location

LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room

DAC

Storage Wall

Island 5

Storage Cabinet

Unit 39

Subcategory

Bedding

Search Terms

James Buchanan Presidential Library

Object Name

Quilt

Material

Cloth

Height (in)

107

Width (in)

99

Condition

Good

Condition Date

2016-02-23

Condition Notes

Top has stains and holes, revealing batting.

Object ID

W.89.153

Accession Number

W.89.153

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Collection

Wheatland

Description

All cotton quilt, on point blocks have pieced 8-point star blocks that alternate with blocks of a woven pattern blue with a grid of white lines. Stars are small scale floral print of pink with tiny white flowers. White ground is a very loose weave composed of multiple pieced panels. White outside border is 11" wide on one end and 7.5" wide on the other three.

Hand-quilted with white thread in a small scale grid aligned with blocks.

Back is a loose weave arranged with wide strips of white alternating with strips of a large, bold red print of branches and large flowers. Six white strips are 8.5 - 9" wide; 5 printed strips and 7.5" wide. Back is brought forward to front to created binding. Thin battiing.

Inscription: On front quilt corner is "HM6? handwritten in ink.

Provenance

No records

Date Range

1850-1900

Year Range From

1850

Year Range To

1900

Storage Location

LancasterHistory, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room

DAC

Storage Wall

Island 5

Storage Cabinet

Unit 39

Subcategory

Bedding

Search Terms

James Buchanan Presidential Library

Object Name

Quilt

Material

Cotton

Length (in)

95

Width (in)

92

Condition

Good

Condition Date

2016-02-18

Condition Notes

Overall fading and deterioration, especially in pink floral print which is consistently riddled with small holes where white flowers have deteriorated. Some small holes in blue fabric, 1/8"-1/4" big with fraying. General soil, scattered stains and acid burn, especially at fold lines and borders, as well as sections of back..

Object ID

W.1989.154.001

Accession Number

W.1989.154

Less detail

Collection

Wheatland

Description

Quilt of cotton has 9-Patch pattern blocks on point. Sashing separates the 9-patch blocks. All white except the 5 patches of printed cottons in each 9-patch block. Print colors include red, brown, tan, pink, white, yellow and blue. Narrow outer border is 3.5" wide. Cotton batting. Very narrow binding is the white back rolled around to front and hand stitched.

Hand quilted in white thread. Undulating feather throughout border, cable in all sashing and unusual, large, 4-leaf motif in 9-patch block has oval leaves extending from center print into the 4 corner prints.

Side-by-side Inscriptions in one corner are "JO4" (?) handwritten in ink and "K214" stamped. Likely owners' marks.

Year Range From

1840

Year Range To

1865

Storage Location

Wheatland, Lancaster, PA

Storage Room

Northwest Bedchamber

Storage Wall

East Wall

Storage Cabinet

Bedstead

Storage Shelf

Mattress Surface

Subcategory

Bedding

Object Name

Quilt

Material

Cotton

Height (in)

104

Width (in)

102

Condition

Fair

Condition Date

2023-01-20

Condition Notes

Overall wear and fading. Deterioration to many of the cotton prints, with small holes, large holes and strong losses. Blood stain with hole is 3/4" in size. Scattered dark stains on top and especially on back that have appearance of foxing. Several sections along quilt edge - front and back - have dye transfer from a printed fabric caused by moisture.

Object ID

W.1989.165.001

Accession Number

W.1989.165

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