Lancaster Carpet, Coverlet, Quilt, and Yarn Manufactory; coverlet; Jacquard, double-cloth; 1860-1870; Pennsylvania
date: label: Date made
content: mid 19th century
label: date made
content: 1856-1880
name: label: weaver
content: Schum, Philip
label: maker
content: Schum, Philip
notes: label: Description
content: Philip Schum, for the Lancaster Carpet, Coverlet, Quilt, and Yarn Manufactory; large, floral and geometric central medallion woven coverlet with floral urn and grape vine borders; 1866-1880; Lancaster City, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; jacquard-woven double cloth; cotton and wool; 1866-1880. This coverlet was woven on a Jacquard loom and is composed of red & green yarns arranged in a plain, double weave with fringe on 3 sides. 1. (border) urns with flowers (reminiscent of the theorem paintings and applique quilt patterns of the mid-19th century) & grapevines. 2. (center) floral medallion ([Also described as Center Star with Garland.) From Clarita Anderson and John W. Heisey: Philip Schum (1814-1880) was born In Hesse-Darmstadt, Holy Roman Empire. He immigrated to Lancaster County, PA in approximately 1844. He was not trained as a weaver and there is no evidence that he ever was. What we do know is that Philip Schum was a saavy businessman. He worked first as a "Malt Tramper," a position presumably linked to brewing and malting of grains. After six months, Philip was able to afford to bring his first wife Ana Margartha Bond (1820-1875) to join him in Pennsylvania. Once reunited, Philip worked as a day laborer, shoemaker, and basketmaker. He purchased a small general store in Lancaster City in 1852. By 1856, he has built his business enough to sell at a profit and purchase the Lancaster Carpet, Coverlet, Quilt, and Yarn Manufactory. Philip's first wife, Anna, passed away sometime before 1879, because in this year, Philip married his second wife, Anna Margaret Koch (1834-1880). The two were tragically killed in a train accident in 1880, when a locomotive stuck their horse and buggy. The New Era, a local Lancaster newspaper titled the article about the incidient with the headline, "Death's Harvest." Lancaster Carpet, Coverlet, Quilt, and Yarn Manufactory began with just one or two looms and four men. It grew to four looms and eight men quicky. By 1875, the factory had twenty looms and employeed fourty men. Philip Schum was no weaver. He was an entrepreneur and businessman who invested in the growing market for household textiles. Philip's estate inventory included a carpet shop, weaving shop, dye house, two stores, and a coal yard. At the time of his death were also listed 390 "Half-wool coverlets." These were valued at $920. In 1878, Philip partnered with his son, John E. Schum to form, Philip Schum, Son, and Co. Another Schum coverlet is in the collections of the MFA-Houston. This particular coverlet was purchased by the donor's granfather in either Cincinnati or Pittsburg while he was serving as a ship's carpenter along the Ohio River trade routes. The family would later settle in Crawford County, Indiana. This fact also shows that Philip Schum's coverlets, quilts, yarn, etc. were not just being made for the local market. Schum was transporting his goods west and presumably in other directions. He was making for an American market.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
label: See more items in
content: Coverlets
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mrs. Jessie Merrilees Turley
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T13662
label: catalog number
content: T13662.000
label: accession number
content: 261922
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coverlet, figured
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: jacquard (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: double weave (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: wool, cotton (center material)
label: Physical Description
content: red (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: green (overall color)