Archibald Davidson; coverlet; Figured and Fancy; double cloth; 1838; New York
date: label: date made
content: 1838
name: label: weaver
content: Davidson, Archibald
label: manufacturer
content: Ithaca Carpet Factory
notes: label: Description
content: Archibald Davidson (b. 1771), proprietor of the Ithaca Carpet Factory, wove this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double- cloth coverlet in 1838. This centerfield design features a stylized “Double Tulip” carpet medallion motif offset by floral diamond motifs. The coverlet features borders along three side. The two side borders are composed of an adorsed “Stag and Tree,” and the bottom border is composed of a more developed Independence Hall and Great Seal Eagle border found on earlier Davidson coverlets. In the lower two corners, the words "Woven at the Ithaca Carpet Factory by Arch'd Davidson 1838" appear. This coverlet belonged to James Madison Wheeler, grandfather of the donor. Archibald Davidson was born in Scotland in 1771, where he was trained as a weaver. He married Jane McPhail on December 10, 1795 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and they had five sons, one born in Pennsylvania and the other four in New Jersey. They later lived in both Tompkins and Warsaw Counties, New York. Davidson died January 5, 1854. This coverlet is composed of two panels woven as one length, cut, and sewn together to create the finished width.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
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content: Coverlets
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content: Domestic Furnishings
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content: Textiles
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mrs. Stephen F. Cameron
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T11470
label: catalog number
content: T11470.000
label: accession number
content: 212398
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coverlet, figured
label: Object Name
content: double cloth
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: cotton, wool (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: blue, white (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: double cloth (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 138 in x 78 in; 350.52 cm x 198.12 cm