BACK TO QUILTS

Mr. Mandela; Mariner's Compass

CITE THIS QUILT

img
quilt

QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-842

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Quilts and Human Rights; Black Diaspora Quilt History Project

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

95.0021

If this quilt is owned by a museum, enter the accession number:

2003:50.2

Object label:

Mr. Mandela
Beverly Ann White
Pontiac, Michigan
1990
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#2003:50.2

Essay:

Beverly Ann White’s created her Mr. Mandela quilt to honor Nelson Mandela:
My statement quilts are made as a result of emotion. The inspiration for Mr. Mandela came from the very strong emotions of elation and relief I experienced when he was released from his years of captivity in South Africa.

White donated her quilts View from the Mountain Top and Nelson Mandela to the Michigan State University Museum in November 2003. The GLQC/MSU Museum's Michigan African American Quilt Collection includes over thirty-five quilts, as well as documentary materials, which reflect the wide range of individual styles and traditions found with the Michigan African-American quilting community. Quilts from this collection have been featured in Marsha MacDowell, ed., African American Quiltmaking in Michigan (Michigan State University Press, 1997).

Quilt's title:

Mr. Mandela

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Mariner's Compass

Quilt top made by:

White, Beverly Ann

Quilted by:

White, Beverly Ann

If you are the quilt owner, how did you acquire this quilt?

Made the quilt

Where the quilt was made, city:

Pontiac

Where the quilt was made, county:

Oakland

Where the quilt was made, state:

Michigan (MI)

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

Time period:

1976-1999

When was the quilt started?

middle of February 1990

When was the quilt finished?

end of February 1990

Why was the quilt made?

Commemorative

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's city:

Pontiac

Quiltmaker's county:

Oakland

Quiltmaker's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quiltmaker's country:

United States

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Holt

Quiltmaker's birth date:

9/2/1943

In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker live?

Urban

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

Afro-American; African American

Quiltmaker's educational background:

Some college

Quiltmaker's religious affiliation:

Protestant

Quiltmaker's occupation:

Self employed "Craftings by Beverly" Part time Medical records clerk

Quiltmaker's father's name:

Holt, Jr., Thomas

Quiltmaker's father's ethnic/tribal background:

African-American

Quiltmaker's mother's name:

Holt, Annie Lou

Quiltmaker's mother's ethnic/tribal background:

African-American

Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' occupation:

Supervisor, Auto GMC

Number of children:

4

How many of the quiltmaker's children were girls?

2

How many of the quiltmaker's children were boys?

2

How did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

From Class

When did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?

Age 30-39

Other notes on how the quiltmaker learned, and how and why they quilt:

My "statement" quilts are made from pure emotion. I gave quilts for the birth of my nieces

Estimated number of quilts made by this quiltmaker:

5-20 quilts

Does/did the quiltmaker sell quilts?

yes

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

43 1/2'

How long is the quilt?

44 1/4"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Black; Blue; Brown; Cream; Green; Yellow

Quilt's condition:

Excellent/like new

Describe the type of inscription:

Title

What is inscribed on the quilt?

"Mr. Mandela" Beverly White

What is the date inscribed on the quilt?

February 1990

Method used to make the inscription:

Ink

Location of inscription:

on back

Describe the quilt's layout:

Medallion or framed center

Number of quilt blocks:

1

Medallion size:

43 1/2" x 44 1/4"

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton; Cotton or polyester blend

Describe the fibers or fabrics in the quilt top:

Neck tie used for the neck tie

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Piecing

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Applique

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Embroidery

Embellishments used:

Cotton thread

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

1

How is the binding made?

Back turned to front

What is the width of the binding (measure on the top only)?

less than a half inch

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

Blanket or flannel

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:

6

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

7

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Echo; Outline

Features or notes about the quilt's appearance, materials, or construction:

My "statement" quilts are made as a result of emotion. The inspiration for Mr. Mandela came from the very strong emotions of elation and relief I experienced when he was released from his years of captivity in South Africa. Of this quilt, White says: "My statement quilts are made as a result of emotion. The inspiration for Mr. Mandela came from the very strong emotions of elation and relief I experienced when he was released from his years of captivity in South Africa." The museum has over forty African-American and African quilts, as well as quilt-related documentary materials, which reflect a wide range of individual styles and traditions found within African and African diasporic communities.

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Original to maker

Describe the source of the pattern:

Commercial (book, magazine, etc.)

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

Vocare School, March 1990 Quilts and Human Rights, MSU Museum, January 15 - August 24, 2008

Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:

African American Quiltmaking in Michigan (1997) book, figure 35 p. 30.

Publications (including web sites) where this quilt or maker was featured:

Patterns; Templates; Photos of quilter; Audiotape Interview by Deborah Smith Barney MSUM.

Source of the information on this quilt:

Museum employee

Ownership of this quilt is:

Public- Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's name:

Michigan State University Museum

Quilt owner's city:

East Lansing

Quilt owner's county:

Ingham

Quilt owner's state:

Michigan (MI)

Quilt owner's country:

United States

How was this quilt acquired?

Gift

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

11/3/2003, Beverly White

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

How did the quiltmaker participate in the creation of the quilt?

Made entire quilt

If the source helped design the quilt, describe their input:

Designed the pattern

The quilt was made to be used for:

Artwork/wall hanging

Describe anything about the design of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field:

My "statement" quilts are made as a result of emotion. The inspiration for Mr. Mandela came from the very strong emotions of elation and relief I experienced when he was released from his years of captivity in South Africa.

Describe any favorite patterns, tools, etc. used by the quiltmaker:

100% cotton (top); 80-20 batting; 100% cotton backing; quilting thread, cotton wrapped poly. Mostly lap quilting but just bought a Flynn frame.

Who photographed this quilt?

Pearl Yee Wong

Copyright holder:

Michigan State University Museum

Cite this Quilt

White, Beverly An. Mr. Mandela. end of February 1990. From Michigan State University Museum, Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Quilts and Human Rights; Black Diaspora Quilt History Project. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=12-8-842. Accessed: 03/29/24

RELATED RECORDS