1841 - 1844 Mary Taylor's Album Quilt Top
date: label: date made
content: 1841-1844
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: The large center block of this album quilt is inscribed in ink: “Hester Willard To her Sister Mary Norriston April 12 1842.” Hester’s sister would have been Mary H. (?) Taylor. Almost all of the other 68 pieced and appliquéd blocks contain an inked or stamped signature, and many are dated between 1841 and 1844. Additionally many are inscribed with verse from hymns or period literature expressing parting and remembrance. The signatures on the quilt blocks are those of relatives, neighbors, and friends. They lived either in Lower Dublin in Philadelphia County or in the city of Philadelphia, except for Mary’s sisters, Hester Willard and Emily Taylor, who lived in Norristown, Pa, a suburb of Philadelphia.
label: Description
content: All of the 68 pieced and appliquéd blocks are different, creating the sampler effect. Both traditional motifs and delightful original designs are represented. These are arrayed around a 17 x 18 1/4-inch center square. An unfinished quilt top, evidence indicates that it was reassembled at some time. Four blocks have been enlarged with fabrics that appear to be of a later date (1875-1900). The fabrics are mainly roller-printed dress fabrics with some furnishing chintzes, there are no plain-colored cottons.
label: Description
content: Mary was probably the daughter of Thomas and Susan Wright Taylor. Neither Thomas nor Susan is listed in the 1850 Census. Earlier, Susan is listed as head of household in the 1830 and 1840 Census for Lower Dublin, Philadelphia, Pa. Many of the Wright family members are buried in the cemetery at the Pennyback Baptist Church which was first named the Lower Dublin Baptist Church. It was the first Baptist Church in Philadelphia. We know no further information about Mary Taylor ---whether she had married, gone west, or died.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Norristown
topic: label: Subject
content: Quilting
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
label: See more items in
content: Cultures & Communities
label: See more items in
content: Domestic Furnishings
label: See more items in
content: Textiles
label: See more items in
content: Quilts
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mrs. Barbara C. Donohue
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T14870
label: catalog number
content: T14870
label: accession number
content: 282796
objectType: label: Object Name
content: quilt top
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: fabric, cotton (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: thread, cotton, silk (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 82 in x 75 in; 208 cm x 191 cm