Quilts in History

The Civil War in America saw a major uprise in the production and ownership of quilts. After President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act in 1862, westward expansion began. The idea of the west proposed such an ideal way of living; it offered new land, new opportunities, and a new life. To many, it was like arriving in a New World all over again. However, westward migration was not something that happened immediately. Pioneers who sought to take the journey spent months, if not years, preparing. The need for clothing and blankets became a dire necessity and no one went anywhere anymore without a sewing kit. Those who were making the migration were told to bring 2-3 blankets or quilts. Quilts became a commonality, not only with the pioneers, but also with the people after they settled. They had proven to be incredibly versatile, serving as quilted blankets as well as cloths, rags, and other types of fabric needed for daily use.

As this was going on, quilts began to serve a greater purpose than merely providing warmth and convenience. Those who sewed these together began to embroider them as well. Scenes were sewn into the textiles of these quilts, telling stories such as the story of westward expansion. They also began to serve the purpose of symbolizing cultural, social, and political matters. One such matter was the presence of slavery in America at the time. A group of people known as the Quakers began to use their quilt-making skills to create a quilted pattern that served as a rebellion against the institution of slavery, as well as the presence and ideals of the Confederates.

History of the Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad was a name given to a complex network of people within the United States who commonly aimed to lead slaves to freedom. It was developed around the time of the Civil War as an effort to undermine the Confederacy and bring an end to the inhumane practice. One of the main active groups that participated in this movement was the Quakers. The word “quaker” also, unironically, means friend and these were mostly people from the Christian church united in their shared mentality that every human had the ability within them to experience God.

The term “underground” in the title of this network’s name is indicative of its desire to remain relatively unknown. Many were persecuted for attempting to aid slaves on their way to freedom, as were slaves attempting to reach freedom. As a result, it was key that the organization remained unknown to those who may appose its operations. Instead, those who were part of this network developed numerous “secretive” techniques, only meant to be understood by those who were within the operation.

Freedom Quilts

Freedom quilts were thought to be a part of the underground railroad that worked in disguise to lead slaves to freedom. The quilts were usually adorned with some sort of arrow shaped pattern. This was a common pattern regardless, but when hung outside of one’s house they became directional symbols, pointing the way to freedom. Since quilts were such common objects to have hung outside of one’s home, this method was able to remain undetected, so much so that historians still do not have concrete evidence that this was the main purpose of these quilts. However, despite the lack of the facts, the idea is still an incredibly interesting one and sheds light on the truth of our history and the hardships that slaves dealt with, as well as the extreme methods they needed to pursue to obtain their freedom.

Huguenot Quilts

Huguenot Street has a rich collection of similar quilts, all of which tell a story about the history of the Huguenots and the town of New Paltz. Located in their “commemorative quilts” section of their website, Huguenot Street is in possession of a quilt which is titled the Tercentenary Quilt. This quilt is comprised of thirty-five textiles stitched onto a blue fabric background. This contrast works to make the textile images pop. The Tercentenary Quilt is an example of an album quilt. More specifically, this design is officially known as the Baltimore Album Quilt, a style that, as evident in the name, originated in Baltimore, Maryland during the 1840s and are well-known to tell stories within their designs.

The Tercentenary Quilt was created by thirty-five women as a celebration of the three hundred year anniversary of the New Paltz settlement. As evident in the image below, each block tells a little story about New Paltz’s history. They include the first church built in the town, the Huguenot cross, the Bevier-Elting house, the Walkill River, and many more. This specific quilt is rich in stories and histories, so much so that the object itself has become a historic item, for it serves as a reminder of where Huguenot Street comes from and the stories behind their origin.

The Huguenot Quilt Collection also includes a section called “friendship quilts.” These are collective quilts that were passed down through family lines as a way to commemorate the family members that came before them. One such quilt is The Duboisville Friendship Quilt.

The appearance of this quilt varies greatly from the previous stated one, despite its simple repetitive pattern. This quilt includes brights colors such as reds and oranges, rather than predominantly using blue fabric. However, the significance of this object lies in the signatures that are present within the quilt. In the middle of each diamond-shaped design, as shown in the images, is a signature of who is presumed to be one family member.

The significance of this object lies in it’s connection to the legacy of the DuBois family. The DuBois family history is rich within the history of New Paltz and Huguenot Street. Descendants of Chretien DuBois and his wife Francoise le Poivre, the DuBois family found their way to American, and eventually Kingston, after years of attempting to escape persecution in Europe. After finally settling in New Paltz along the Wallkill River, the DuBois family began to lay down a legacy that remains prevalent today. The preservation of these quilts and the names of the family members that are embedded within them serves as a reminder of just how deep the history of Huguenot Street lies.

Provenance

The legacy of the Tercentenary Quilt is easier to track than the Duboisville quilt, due to the fact that it was created during the seventies. Celebrating the three hundred year anniversary of the Huguenot settlement, as stated previously, thirty-five women were commissioned to create it. The woman who donated it to Huguenot Street remains anonymous, but it is thought that she is a family member of one of the women who created the quilt.

However, the legacy of Duboisville quilt leaves behind a traceable path. It was owned by a woman named Mary H. Dubois, evidently a descendant of the Dubois family. It is believed that the quilt was likely made as a gift to both Charles and Mary DuBois prior to their departure from Duboisville–a city in Michigan. Afterwards, the quilts fell into the hands of Reverend Edwin Herman DuBois, gifted to him from his aunt Elvie Dubois. Elvie was Mary DuBois’ daughter. She later then passed on the quilt to Evelyn M. Gueho. Evelyn M. Gueho is accredited with the donation of the Duboisville quilt to Historic Huguenot Street. On June 28, 1990, it became a permanent part of their quilt collection.

Narrative

Quilting is an art form that continues to serve an integral part of human history. The word quilt is derived from the French word “cuilte” with the same meaning. However, as a verb, the word quilt translates to “join together,” which serves as a double meaning to the togetherness, of not only the literal stitching in the fabric, but of the legacies and stories they tell.Upon arriving in the new world, European settlers brought the art of quilting with them. During the nineteenth century, quilting became more than just an art form in America; it became a social interaction. Women would often convene in places called quilting bees to swap textiles with one another and complete quilt work they may have been doing alone at home.

With this in mind, it is more understandable as to why thirty-five women were accredited with the creation of the Tercentenary Quilt. Seeing that Huguenot Street, and New Paltz in general, is an incredibly small area nowadays, it makes sense that the women who settled here would convene together to make quilts. It is likely that each little story was sewn on its own before the entire quilt was put together. Each woman was responsible for choosing a landmark, a person, or a family member to create their own square textile on.

The object of the quilt literally–and metaphorically–symbolizes the interwoven histories of these people. When we look at it, we are able to trace every single story that each of the female creators wanted to tell. That is the true beauty of an object, and especially a historic one: the ability to tell a story.

References

Quilts of Historic Huguenot Street, omeka.hrvh.org/exhibits/show/quilts-of-hhs/introduction.

“The Duboisville Friendship Quilt, Historic Huguenot Street.” Hudson River Valley Heritage, http://www.hrvh.org/cdm/ref/collection/hhs/id/2163.

Editors, History.com. “Underground Railroad.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009, http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/underground-railroad.

Editors, History.com. “Quakers.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 19 May 2017, http://www.history.com/topics/immigration/history-of-quakerism.

“DuBois Family Association.” Historic Huguenot Street, http://www.huguenotstreet.org/dubois.

“HISTORY OF QUILTING.” Emporia State University, www.emporia.edu/cgps/tales/quilte~1.html.

“Quilt Discovery Experience.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, http://www.nps.gov/home/planyourvisit/quilt-discovery-experience.htm.

For this week’s post, I am choosing an object that is relatively new to my object collection–well, I don’t know if I can really include it in my own, since it was a gift for someone else. Nonetheless, it is the most recent item I have purchased and, though it does not have a long meaningful history, I hope that its future will.

Since I was a kid, I have had an infatuation with stuffed animals. It stemmed from my desire to own every single pet possible, but due to limited space in my home, I was only able to own a hamster of my own. To compensate, I bought a stuffed animal nearly every time I went into a store.

Now, being that I am much older, you may think I’d grown out of this habit. It’s true, I no longer pick one up every time I’m shopping, due to the fact that I am my own financially stable individual and now have to buy them for myself. However, for some momentous occasions, my mom still buys me one, for the sake of contributing to my collection and for keeping me young. When I moved into college, my mom bought me a stuffed elephant, an object that I keep close to me and still have here at school with me today. It brings me comfort and always provides me with a tiny reminder of my mom while I’m away and missing her.

The object I am focusing on, however, is not my stuffed elephant. Rather, it is a stuffed husky, from the same brand, that I bought my boyfriend for Valentine’s Day this year. Buying it for him, I had the same mentality that my mom did when she bought my elephant: that it would serve as a tiny reminder of me while we are away from each other. Plus, huskies are his favorite dogs, so that’s a bonus.

The company both stuffed animals come from is called Aurora. They are a popular brand on Amazon that people buy stuffed animals from. They were established in 1981 in California. A lot of their products are sold out of places such as zoos and high-end toy stores to appeal to “animal lover” crowds. Their toys are created, for the most part, to closely resemble life-like versions of the animals. The toys are made of safe, authentic materials, making them safe for young kids to play with. They are also made with extremely soft materials, again creating a resemblance to the real life version of these animals, just on a much smaller scale.

When I purchased the object, the process it had to go through was likely quite simple, being that it is a mass produced object. The particular stuffed husky that I bought probably came from a warehouse. For this reason, I do not feel as connected to the production/transportation of the object, seeing that I am the first person to have owned it, prior to my boyfriend. It does not have a rich history like my Claddagh ring did, where I can trace it’s origin back into my family line. However, I am hoping that the future of this stuffed husky will be rich. I want him to hold onto it for awhile, as a reminder of me, and see if it eventually ends up in the hands of someone else, who will be the first to be able to tell the story of its journey.

For this week’s post, I am once again focusing on my family ring: my Irish Claddagh ring. To reiterate, the ring is an object that has been passed down to me through the generations. It began in the possession of my great nana, gifted to her at the later stages of her life. After she passed, it fell into the hands of my grandmother who held onto it until I became of age at thirteen to become to official owner of the ring. This is a family tradition for all the girls on my father’s side of my family, meaning my sister also was given a passed down Claddagh ring when she became a teenager. However, after a recent family discussion, it came to my knowledge that the ring my sister possesses has a much richer family history than my own. Though I am a bit envious of the story behind her ring, I am grateful that I was able to ask my grandmother about it and delve into more of my family’s wonderful history.

The ring my sister has traces back to–and I’m going to hope you can follow this, because it took me awhile to understand–my grandmother’s grandmother’s mother-in-law. So, in other words, the ring comes from the mother of the husband of my grandma’s grandma. I’m not sure if there’s a simpler term for that, but that’s what the text I received regarding the ring’s history says, and so that is what I will write.

The woman who was the first owner of my family ring had been given it by her first fiancee as an engagement ring. He was an irishman through and through, and it had been his own family tradition to propose with Claddagh rings. The woman herself was not Irish, but seeing that she was about to marry into a heavily Irish influenced family, she accepted and wore it proudly. They were engaged for a few brief months until, sadly, the man, who I believe was named Angus, died suddenly. My grandma does not know the details of his passing, other than that the woman was utterly heartbroken.

She carried the ring with her, even as she married her second and last husband who was, fittingly, Irish as well. This man ended up being my grandmother’s great grandfather… if I’ve drawn out the family tree correctly. The ring fell into his possession and he gave it to his first daughter, unknowingly beginning a long line of Claddagh rings given to the women in our family. I am unsure of the details of the rest of the path of my sister’s ring, but I am positive that it has touched, physically and emotionally, many lives throughout my family. Unfortunately, I do not have images of the ring, since my sister has it stashed away somewhere safe in her bedroom back home, but I found an image online that looks very similar to it:

Though its appearance does not differ greatly from mine, it is a bit more tarnished and the band shows signs of bending and warping.

It is amazing to me that stories such as the one I’ve told exist in my family. I have never been one to ask much about the history of my lineage. Rather, I’ve accepted that I come from a long line, beginning somewhere in Ireland many centuries ago. However, now every time I put on my necklace with my ring dangling from it, I am reminded of how rich my family history is and of how great of a story there is behind these little heirlooms that my sister and I carry around with us. I hope that someday, down the line, the ring that I pass down will accumulate a great deal of detail and stories to be told to future generations within my family.

For this post, I chose to focus on my Irish Claddagh ring, one of the objects that I brought with me to our very first class meeting. It is one of, if not the only, object that I keep with me every second of every day. I wear it on a thin gold chain around my neck, so that no matter where I go, I always have it close to me.

The ring is gold and very small. Due to its age, it has lost a bit of its luster, but nonetheless, is still quite a shiny piece of jewelry. I wear this ring around my neck for a few reasons, the first simple one being that it does not fit comfortably on my finger where it is supposed to be. However, more significantly, I wear this ring because it has become much like a family heirloom to me. Unfortunately, I come from a family that is not very rich in traditions. Aside from holiday get togethers, we don’t have many things that really tie us together–that is, except for our Claddagh rings.

My dad’s side of my family is very Irish. All of the girls have been given one of these rings at some point in their lives. My sister was given hers when she turned thirteen, and so was I. To the women in my family, obtaining a Claddagh ring is much like a rite of passage that signifies we’ve made it to womanhood. It also connects us all, and lengthens our long continuous string of rings that have circulated through our family for many generations.

Delving into the history of my object, I can’t say exactly how old the piece is. However, I am able to track its progress through my family. The ring was a gift given to my great-nana in the later years of her life. I am not sure if it was bought new or passed down, but that leaves the ring at somewhere between 25-35 years in my family. My great-nana was often regarded as the matriarch of my family. Unfortunately, I never got the opportunity to meet her. She passed away shortly before I was born. A lot of my family thinks there is a strong connection between the timing of her death and the timing of my birth, in the sense that they believe she became a part of me. I am not necessarily a religious person, but it is still a wonderful story to hear about and be told that I carry traits that such a wonderful woman in my family did. Now, I carry her ring as well. My grandmother had had it for nearly a decade before she decided that she wanted me to be the grandchild that received the object.

Thinking of all this as I sit here holding my ring, I can’t help but think about whose hands have held it before mine. There’s a strange sensation knowing that a woman I never even met was once the owner of one of my prized possessions. However, the beautiful thing about that is that I can still feel connected to her.

Claddagh rings were first developed in Ireland during the seventeenth century. Most times, they were used as engagement or wedding rings. The hands that clasp the heart on the ring are meant to symbolize whether or not a woman is taken, depending on how it is worn. If the hands are facing outwards, it means her heart is open to be taken. However, if the hands are facing inwards it means her heart has been taken.

Though I do not use the ring for the same reason, it does still symbolize love for me. Wearing it around my neck means it constantly changes whether it is facing outwards or inwards, which I like to interpret as this idea that I often wear my heart on my sleeve and will give my heart to those deserving of taking it–in both a romantic and a platonic sense.

My Claddagh ring is something that is very important to me and my family. Though delving into its history and origins is fascinating to me, I am equally as interested in thinking about where it will travel after me and who my ring will be given to when I am older. I find this to be a wonderful thought, because it means that I will always remain a part of my family web–always connected to the one’s I love through the objects we pass down.

For this post, I have chosen to discuss an elephant figurine that I have been in possession of for about two years now. Given to me as a gift, it holds great sentimental value to me. It is also part of my ever-expanding collection of elephants, a hobby I have kept up since I was in early elementary school.

As pictured below, the elephant is approximately 5 inches wide and 4 inches tall. The material it is made out of is wood, and when touching it you can tell it was hand carved and still has a bit of a rough exterior. The wood displays many curved lines in it that give it an authentic and natural look. I like this about the object because, being that it is an elephant, I appreciate the fact that it was carved out of a natural substance. Also as shown in the following images, it has a few chips and scratches on it. One of the ears has been chipped, and the result is a jagged wooden edge. Personally, I don’t mind this. I feel that it gives the object more character.

I feel as though this an object that can span across many cultures, as well as time periods, and hold the same meaning. Animal figurines have been used for thousands of years all across the world. To many cultures, they were used for good luck and to ward off any unwanted negative presences. In Indian culture, Buddhism in particular, elephants have been known to symbolize power, wisdom, and good luck. Many believers often collected elephant figurines to place in their household to protect it. There is an ancient superstition that by facing the elephant so that its trunk faces the front door, it will prevent any bad from entering.

Inspecting my object further, I am interested to know how old it is–and not just the figurine itself. I want to know how old the wood from which it is carved from is. Somewhere, at some time, this little elephant was part of a tree. That tree could’ve been local, or it can be halfway across the world. Being that my friends found it in an antique shop, I am led to believe that it is quite old. I wonder if someone had it before me, and if it held the same meaning to them as it does to me. Were they merely a collector, finding joy in having multiple elephants around their home? Or were they a Buddhist, using this little elephant for religious purposes, warding off bad spirits and hoping to bring prosperity into their home? Regardless, as touched upon in the assigned article, “Material Culture/Objects: Where is it now and how did it get there?” I am led to believe that my particular object has held a similar meaning to all prior owners. In the beginning, the article discusses how many cultures wouldn’t understand some of the household objects I am currently surrounded by, such as a toaster or a Keurig. However, this elephant figurine holds a fairly simple meaning across all time periods and cultures.

Studying my object so closely has made me incredibly curious about where it came from. I doubt I would be able to trace it back to its roots, but it still something that is interesting to dwell on. It raises questions such as who made it, how many people have been gifted this, and will I someday pass it down to a similar antique shop as the one it came to me from? Furthermore, it makes me ask the same questions about my collection as a whole. I have elephant figurines made up of all kinds of mediums: glass, aluminum, clay, etc. I wonder if those elephants have long histories as well, and if the prior owners (if there are any) felt the same about them as I do.

According the the article, “An introduction to material culture,” collecting objects is something humans have done since the beginning of our origins. These objects included things with practical uses such as tools for building and materials for maintaining life. Others were objects of sentimental value that humans keep for the sake of holding onto memories and fulfilling aesthetic needs. Personally speaking, most of the objects I refuse to let go of are those that symbolize some sort of personal significance to me.

With that being said, I like to think of myself as a relatively neat person. I find comfort in organization, and when my room is messy for more than a day and a half, I refuse to fall asleep at night without creating some sort of semblance that I have my life together. For this assignment, I chose to tidy up my desk drawer. Cleaning, rearranging, and organizing have always been exciting for me, due to the fact that it makes me feel revitalized. I find that clutter throws me off and does not allow me to function in my room to my full capacity. However, by choosing to tackle the mess that is my desk drawer, I now feel like I can be productive at my desk, knowing it is tidy and that everything on and inside of it are easily accessible.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of what my drawer looked like prior to this organization process, but I can assure you it was quite messy. Some of the objects I found were ones I had not seen for awhile; others I did not recall putting in there at all.

The first object I found was this photo album. Given to me as a gift, containing photographs of memories with my friends, I had forgotten that I had stowed it away into my desk drawer. Finding it during this assignment was exciting, and made me happy, for I was able to reminisce as I flipped through the pages of it.

Another object I came across during this process was my old writing journal.

It has been months since I’ve opened this book, and even longer since I’ve written in it. Coming across it forced me to look inside and read old thoughts, quotes, and entries I had written. I felt both nostalgic, and even a little saddened, to read about my past self. However, it did allow me to reflect on how much I have grown since.

Another object I found, and one I’m slightly embarrassed to post here, is a goofy drawing that one of my friends made.

Of all the objects I found, this one should’ve been one I surely threw away. It is a slightly crumbled piece of composition notebook paper, with a horrific drawing of what my friend states “looks like me.” I have no practical purpose for holding onto this, but at the same time, could not throw it out because it is something that makes me laugh. It holds a strange sentimental value to me, and so it was put right back into my drawer.

Another object I came across, that also should’ve been tossed, was an old penny.

Rather than adding this penny to my coin jar, to eventually be cashed into the bank, I keep it in my desk drawer for good luck. I’m a bit of a superstitious person, and so I always hold on to objects such as pennies I found on heads. I also collect elephant figurines, another example of objects I have that have some sort of sentimental value, because they are believed to bring good luck. Though they hold no real materialistic value to me, I keep them for the memories and for the personal value they possess.

Overall, this experience was an enlightening one. It made me realize two things: one being that I need to go through my drawers more often, due to the fact that they were littered with garbage and scraps of paper; another being that there are objects in there that I had forgot I even had. Each one brought back some sort of memory for me, and so the process made me feel joy. Plus, it helped me get organized and feel like I have my life in order.