That's SOME quilt!

By Chris Rossi, Associate Curator of Exhibitions

Quilt lovers have been flocking to our new Unfolding Stories: Culture and Tradition in American Quilts exhibition here at Fenimore. In addition to the raves about the expertise of the piecing, stitching or the creativity of our quilts many folks are dazzled by the sheer size of our “Star of Bethlehem” quilt. It was most likely created by either Providence or Henrietta Hildebrand Owens sometime around 1830. At a whopping 115” x 123” it is one big quilt.

As you can imagine, all of us –docents, visitors and staff– have spent some time trying to figure out why this terrific quilt is so darn big! Time to consult an expert! Jacquie Atkins, our guest curator, gave this response to my queries: “Quilts were functional objects in the 1820s, and although this may have been admired and used only for "best," it would not have been anywhere but on a bed…Keep in mind that many beds were higher in those days … so if the bed were five feet or so wide, that would have meant roughly a 2 1/2 foot drop on each side. Add a thick mattress (10-12" in well-off families) to an 18" high bed, and this does not seem so large after all.”

We can also say that in addition to its size, the quilt is a radiant example of the quilter’s skill and most likely created in a household that could afford the amount and expense of the fine fabrics.

Will the conversation and questions end there? We are wondering if this quilt was used to tuck multiple siblings into one bed on Christmas Eve. Time for a little more research…

One Stitch at a Time

By Stephen Loughman, Preparator

The gems of our quilt collection are currently on display in our exhibition Unfolding Stories: Culture and Tradition in American Quilts. Many of our quilts have previously been on display and were consequently already prepared for installation. However, one of our more important quilts, Trade and Commerce, had just returned from conservation (made possible with a grant from the Greater Hudson Heritage Network) and needed to be prepared for exhibition. All of our quilts have new acid-free fabric attached to the back of the quilt to protect it while on display, and to which we can affix hanging mechanisms. Our quilts in Unfolding Stories are hung with Velcro, which is attached at the top of this backing fabric so that there is no harm to the quilt from the Velcro.

Trade and Commerce also hangs on a very large slant, 8 feet by 9 feet to be exact, in order to reduce the pull of gravity on its fragile threads. The slant was built in two sections since I needed to be able to move it from my office on the 3rd floor of Fenimore down the stairs to the Clark Gallery. Once downstairs the two sections were attached and the whole slant was covered in felt fabric. The felt gives “tooth,” providing yet another layer of gravity resistance. The quilt looks fantastic in its new home, and I think its safe to say that visitors to the museum have been thrilled to see our masterpiece quilt on display once again!

The Story Stitched In

By Chris Rossi, Associate Curator of Exhibitions

One of the pleasures of designing an exhibit is getting to know the objects to be displayed. Behind the piece itself is usually a story about the maker and their life. Sometimes that is easy to read into a piece and other times the artist only leaves clues and little else.

One of the most intriguing pieces in Fenimore Art Museum's upcoming exhibit Unfolding Stories: Culture and Tradition in American Quilts, is the Trade and Commerce quilt. Created around 1835 the quilt is an exuberant depiction of life along a major river and truly exceptional for its conception and execution. The delightful vignettes of trade and commerce on water and on land reflect the observant eye and compositional expertise of its maker, Hannah Stockton Stiles. She clearly was familiar with the maritime trade, and her accurate depiction of the boats that formed part of the river traffic is remarkable.

Who was Hannah? She was born in Trenton, New Jersey to John and Hannah Stockton. We know she was married in 1818 to John Stiles of Philadelphia. That means the Delaware River was a familiar setting for Hannah in both her childhood and married life.

She stitched her story into the quilt with some references we can only guess at. Is it possible that the figures at the lower center of the outside border represent Hannah and her family? Perhaps she kept a cow and drove to market. Did her family own any of the boats depicted on the quilt? Whatever the answers, it is clear that life along the river was a major part of who Hannah was and how her life was shaped.

Quilting up a storm of activity

By: Michelle Murdock, Curator of Exhibitions

In January of 2004 (hard to believe it was that long ago!) I had an amazing opportunity to participate in the Tokyo International Great Quilt Festival held at the Tokyo Dome. Fenimore Art Museum sent 35 of our best quilts to the Festival to be featured in their showcase exhibition. I worked with guest curator Jacquie Atkins to install and answer questions about our exhibition Uncommon Quilts: Treasures from the Fenimore Art Museum. We greeted over 289,000 (!!) women, men, and children from all over the world during the course of seven days. Many visitors to the exhibition wanted to learn more about Fenimore Art Museum. It was an amazing opportunity for us to gain true international exposure. The quilts at Fenimore Art Museum include textile masterpieces that represent the history of New York State and each reflects the historical, social, and cultural context of its time. For example, one of the most unusual quilts ever made in America, known as “Trade and Commerce,” shows its maker was clearly familiar with the busy river commerce so important in the development of New York State. This unique pictorial quilt, made about 1825 by Hannah Stockton Stiles, is a lively appliqué depiction of life along the shores and on the waters of a major river.

During 2010 and 2011 Fenimore Art Museum and The Farmers’ Museum are embarking on a brand new quilt project. Next year we will hold a state-wide juried quilt competition and exhibit the entries in the Louis C. Jones Center at The Farmers’ Museum in the fall. We will also exhibit many of our historic quilts on beds throughout the Historic Village.
The top three winners from the competition at The Farmers’ Museum will be included in an exhibition at Fenimore Art Museum in 2011. The exhibition will feature our masterpiece quilts such as Night Hunt from our permanent collection. The Farmers’ Museum will continue to feature quilts in the Historic Village and both museums will host lectures, workshops and seminars on the art. Finally, the Fenimore exhibition will hit the road in 2012, traveling to several venues throughout the United States.
Are you a quilter? Do you know a quilter? Maybe you want to become a quilter! We want your quilts! Keep your eyes peeled for more details on the competition, coming soon.

Top: Inside the "Tokyo Dome"

Center: Trade and Commerce. Quilt top, ca. 1835. Gift of Hannah Lee Stokes, N0222.1956.

Bottom: Night Hunt. Quilt, 1885. Gift of Dorothy E. Hubbard, N0024.1973