QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-5651

Who documented this quilt?

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

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

10.0175

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

2010:109.1

Object label:

Nazi Swastika Quilt
Maker unknown
Berlin, Germany
c1935
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#2010:109.1

Essay:

Frank Sanders, an optometrist in South Carolina and a charter member of the South Carolina Historical Preservation Trust, brought this quilt from Berlin after WWII where he served in the U.S. military.

Quilt's title:

Nazi Swastika Quilt

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

Purchased the quilt

Where the quilt was made, country:

Germany

Time period:

1930-1949

When was the quilt finished?

c1935

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

78"

How long is the quilt?

68"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Black; Blue; Gray; Red; White

Quilt's condition:

Good/moderate use

Damage:

Dirty; Stains

Describe the quilt's layout:

Medallion or framed center

Medallion size:

The center swastika is 26” across. The center medallion is 38” x 38”.

Describe the borders:

There are 4 vertical borders, 7 1/2” light blue, 7 1/2” red, 3 1/2” gray, 4” red. There are 3 horizontal borders, 6” gray, 4 1/2” red, 3 1/2” gray.

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton; Other synthetic

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Piecing

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Machine Applique

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

How is the binding made?

Back turned to front

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

half inch - one inch

What kind of filling is used in the quilt?

Cotton

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:

4

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

4

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Grid diamond

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?

Purchase

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

Ted Gragg was the seller of the Swastika quilt. When Gragg was 8 years old he went to an optometrist, Frank Sanders. Sanders started the SC Historical Preservation Trust and the quilt came from his estate. Gragg first saw the quilt when he was 10 years old. He doesn't know how Saunders got the quilt, but thinks it was brought from Berlin after WWII. Saunders served in the U.S. military right after WWII, so it is possible he collected it then.

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Who photographed this quilt?

Pearl Yee Wong

Copyright holder:

MSU Board of Trustees