Archibald Davidson; coverlet; Figured and Fancy, double cloth; 1835; New York
date: label: Date made
content: 1846
label: date made
content: 1835
name: label: maker
content: Davidson, Archibald
notes: label: Description
content: Archibald Davidson wove this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double cloth coverlet for Sarepta C. White in Ithaca, New York in 1835. The centerfield design is made up of a “Double Rose” carpet medallion pattern. The coverlet has two borders along three sides. The one at the bottom of the coverlet features American eagles, with shields, and stars, and horses. The borders that run along the other two edges, feature meandering floral vines and stars. The two lower corners have the following inscription woven into them: Sarepta C. White, Liberty & Independence, Ithaca 1835 A Davidson Fancy Weaver." The blue yarns are wool and the white yarns are cotton. The coverlet has two hemmed edges, and two edges that appear to have been cut, and are now unraveling. Archibald Davidson was born in Scotland in 1771, where he was trained as a weaver. He married Jane McPhail December 10, 1795 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and they had five sons one born in Pennsylvania and the other four in New Jersey. They lived in both Tompkins and Warsaw Counties, New York. He died January 5, 1854. In 1832 Archibald Davidson advertised himself in the Ithaca Journal and Daily Advertiser as a “fancy weaver” and went on to inform the public that he had purchased a “patent loom.” In 1849, he advertised for an apprentice, stating that: “None need apply unless well recommended.”Blue and white medallion with roses, eagles nd flowers
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, Ithaca
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
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content: Coverlets
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content: Textiles
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Dr. & Mrs. Arthur M. Greenwood.
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.E388874
label: catalog number
content: E388874
label: accession number
content: 182022
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coverlet, figured
label: Object Name
content: coverlet
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: cotton, wool (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: double cloth (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: figured and fancy (overall style)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 93 in x 83 in; 236.22 cm x 210.82 cm