Object Details
maker
Tormey, Margaret McNamara
Description
It took Margaret Tormey sixteen years to carefully craft this 86-inch quilt top, dated 1886, and two matching pillow shams. She included campaign and club ribbons that name New York and Brooklyn; printed silks from the Robinson Company with such motifs as the Statue of Liberty; and brocaded silk pictures to personalize her project. Examples of chromolithograph printing on silk are also found on the quilt top. A multitude of embroidered motifs typical of the era embellish the crazy-patchwork.
Margaret McNamara was born in Ireland (about 1835) and immigrated with her family to the United States about 1848. In 1861 she married Patrick Tormey, who was also born in Ireland (about 1835) and immigrated as a teenager. They lived in Brooklyn, N.Y. Patrick, a Civil War veteran, was keeper of the Brooklyn City Hall for many years. He died in 1900. Margaret died in 1910.
Location
Currently not on view
Credit Line
Gift of Miss Miriam M. Tormey
date made
1870-1886
ID Number
TE.T12927
accession number
247329
catalog number
T12927
Object Name
quilt
quilt top
Physical Description
fabric, silk, velvet, satin, ribbon (overall material)
thread, silk, cotton, chenille (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 86 in x 86 in; 218 cm x 218 cm
See more items in
Home and Community Life: Textiles
Government, Politics, and Reform
Cultures & Communities
Quilts
Textiles
Domestic Furnishings
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Subject
Quilting
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmah_556415