Muir Family; Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet; 1847; Indiana
date: label: Date made
content: 1847
notes: label: Description
content: This Muir Family Figured and Fancy double-cloth coverlet has a geometric, stylized-floral carpet medallion centerfield with floral borders and a dated Muir Family cornerblock trademark in the lower two corners. Two sets of blue and white wool and cotton warp and weft were used to create this coverlet, and there is a self-fringe along the lower edge. The upper edge of the coverlet is worn as is often the case with use. The dark blue yarns are wool singles, and the white yarns are 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun natural cotton.
label: Description
content: This coverlet was made by one of the four Muir brothers who emigrated from Kilmarnock, Scotland between the years 1835-41. They were the sons of Scottish weaver, Thomas Muir and were active weavers from 1840-1864, settling first in Germantown, Wayne County, Indiana then dispersing across the state and later into Missouri as was the case with Robert Muir (b. 1808). Robert sold the farm in Germantown and moved to Liberty Twp., Delaware Co., IN. and was active 1840-1864. While in Liberty Township, Robert had invested in the Cincinnati, New Castle, Michigan Railroad. In 1853, he was able to sell his stocks in the railroad along with the farm and relocate to Missouri to live near the family of his brother-in-law, another Kilmarnock-born Indiana weaver, Joseph Gilmour.
label: Description
content: Thomas Muir (1810-1888) lived in Indianapolis, Marion Co., Indiana and was also active from 1840-1864. Thomas’ life is a bit of a mystery. There is little documentary evidence of his life in this country, but he and his brother William fought for the Union during the Civil War. John Muir (1815-1892) is the best documented of the weaving brothers. After making it to Indiana with his first wife and four children, the family lived with his brother, Robert. John moved to Greencastle, Putnam County, Indiana in 1843. His weaving shop was located on the North side of the town square. In 1855, he and his brother William invested in land speculation in the town of Fillmore, Indiana, convinced it was going to become the next railroad boomtown. John’s last move was to Jackson Township, Parke County, Indiana where he passed away in 1888.
label: Description
content: William Muir (1818-1888), the youngest of the brothers was trained as a drawboy and silk and paisley shawl weaver in Scotland, immigrating to the US in 1840 where he first lived in Germantown, Wayne Co., Indiana and was active from 1840-1864. In 1842, William left the partnership with his brother, John and moved to Indianapolis where he operated a three-loom workshop and employed two Irish weavers, Jonathan Wilson and Robert Shaw as journeymen. William’s business grew with the new city and by 1858, he sold railroad stock and his holdings in Indianapolis, purchased a 340-acre farm Clay County, Indiana, and essentially retired from full-time weaving.
label: Description
content: The fact that the brothers were all active at the same time and likely shared or had copies of the same patterns and used the same signature trademark cornerblock, makes it hard if not impossible to associate this coverlet with any single brother. The Henry Ford Museum has another coverlet by the Muir Family in the exact same pattern suggesting that rather than a bespoke piece commissioned by an individual, this pattern was produced on spec and either marketed by the brothers themselves or sold through a dealer. If like the Craig family of Indiana, the Muirs were also using a modified drawloom rather than a Jacquard pattern mechanism to produce their coverlets, the tie-ups, treadling, and weaving would have been repeated from memory. The fact that William was trained as a drawboy would suggest that the family was engaged in drawloom weaving.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Indiana
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
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content: Coverlets
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content: Textiles
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mrs. Jack C. Miles
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T12680
label: catalog number
content: T12680.000
label: accession number
content: 237217
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coverlet, figured
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: Figured and Fancy (overall style)
label: Physical Description
content: double weave (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: blue (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: white (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: wool (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: cotton (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 87 in x 73 in; 220.98 cm x 185.42 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 85 in x 74 in; 215.9 cm x 187.96 cm