John McLaughlin; coverlet; Figured and Fancy, double cloth; 1848; Ohio
date: label: date made
content: 1848
name: label: maker
content: I. M.
notes: label: Description
content: Scottish immigrant weaver, John McLaughlin (b. 1788) is almost certainly the weaver of this red and white, Figured and Fancy, double cloth coverlet. The centerfield design is made up of two variations of the “Double Rose” carpet medallion pattern and is smaller sunburst medallions complete the centerfield design. There are borders along three sides, each depicting rows of floral designs between sawtooth designs and atop diamond tracery. The cornerblock inscriptions read, “Pyna.Rose/Wove.In/Logan Co/Ohio.By/I.M./1848.” Pyna Rose refers to this particular pattern and I.M. are John McLaughlin’s initials, the I being traditionally interchangeable with the J. The 1850 Federal Census records McLauglin as a weaver outside of Bellefontaine in Jefferson Township, Logan County, Ohio with real estate valued at $2000. An 1851 newspaper advertisement in the Logan Gazette lists a man named Niven as either a business partner or retailer for McLaughlin’s “Flowered and Double Coverlets.” McLaughlin’s extant coverlets date from 1847-1853, but he appears to have stopped using the I.M. initials in 1849. The coverlet measures 87 inches by 75 inches and was constructed from two panels.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place woven
content: United States: Ohio, Logan county
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
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content: Coverlets
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content: Textiles
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content: Domestic Furnishings
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mrs. Jessie F. Tracy
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T14955
label: catalog number
content: T14955
label: accession number
content: 285840
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coverlet, figured
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: double weave (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: cotton, wool (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 88 in x 75 in; 223.52 cm x 190.5 cm
label: Measurements
content: fringe, sides: 2 in; 5.08 cm