Object Details
maker
unknown
Description
This cotton quilt top was found at a fair in Montgomery County, Maryland. The appliquéd designs of the blocks are similar to many found on Maryland album quilts of the mid-19th century. One block is signed in ink, “Rebecca Diggs.”
A log cabin with a barrel marked “Hard Cider” and a raccoon on the roof appears on another block. Variations of this motif were popular at the time and commemorated William Henry Harrison’s “log cabin and cider” presidential campaign of 1840. The symbols were originated by the opposition party, but Harrison turned the tables and utilized them to identify himself with the common man. He won the election only to die of pneumonia a month after his inauguration.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Gift of Miss Daisy Joseph
date made
1840-1845
ID Number
TE.T08755
accession number
163105
catalog number
T08755
Object Name
quilt
Physical Description
fabric, cotton (overall material)
thread, cotton, silk (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 87 in x 87 in; 220 cm x 222 cm
place made
United States: Maryland
See more items in
Home and Community Life: Textiles
Government, Politics, and Reform
Quilts
Textiles
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Subject
Quilting
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmah_556344