In the mind of the late-1800s housewife, no surface deserved to go undecorated. Windows, interior doorways, and mantlepieces were equally likely to be topped with textiles. This one’s many stitches and techniques provide texture and interest, executed in colors trending in the last decades of the century.
Appliquéd and embroidered silk on wool. DAR Museum 2022.7
Knowledge of geometry acquired in school, careful cutting, and excellent stitching were equally important in making this quilt. Also needed was a good eye for color and design in choice and placement of its many prints. Perhaps laid on the “best bed” of the house, its maker displayed her taste and skill.
Attributed to Olive Reed, Massachusetts. Printed and plain cottons. Gift of Daisy Conklin Furman 59.32
Fire screens protected those seated close to the fire from excessive heat and were an excellent surface to display the needle skills and taste of one of the ladies of the house.
Did you know? The popular notion that these protected women’s wax makeup is a myth. Few American women wore makeup—and it was not made with wax.
Wool thread, silk thread accents on canvas; mahogany frame. Gift of Evelyn Cole Peters 64.293
