QUILT INDEX RECORD

12-8-5242

Who documented this quilt?

Michigan Quilt Project; Michigan State University Museum Collection; Black Diaspora Quilt History Project; Cuesta Benberry Collection

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Michigan State University Museum

Michigan Quilt Project Number:

08.0063

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

2008:119.3

Object label:

W.P.A. Tulip
Minnie Benberry
Kentucky
c1930
Collection of Michigan State University Museum acc.#2008:119.3

Essay:

Minnie Benberry was Cuesta’s mother-in-law. During the Great Depression, the government hired artists and craftspersons to make quilts as a part of the Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.). Cuesta discovered that a W.P.A. social worker working in rural western Kentucky gave this quilt’s tulip pattern to quilters in the region. The farm families, scattered over a wide area, were unaware that other families had received the same pattern. When the women gathered in the spring at the churchyard to quilt their tops they were surprised that they each had used the same pattern. They decided to name the pattern “W.P.A. Tulip.”

By Mary Worrall, from the exhibit Unpacking Collections: the Legacy of Cuesta Benberry, An African American Quilt Scholar.

Quilt's title:

W.P.A. Tulip

Biography of the quiltmaker?

Cuesta's mother-in-law.

When was the form filled out?

4/22/08

Quilt top made by:

Benberry, Minnie

Quilted by:

Benberry, Minnie

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

Received as a gift

Where the quilt was made, state:

Kentucky (KY)

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

Time period:

1930-1949

When was the quilt finished?

c1930

Quilt is presently used as:

Museum collection

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's country:

United States

Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:

African American

This is a:

Finished quilt

How wide is the quilt?

63"

How long is the quilt?

74"

Shape of edge:

Straight

Shape of corners:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Gold; Green; Lavender; Red; White

Quilt's condition:

Good/moderate use

Describe the damage:

Some of the pieces are coming loose from the background fabric, not unusual in raw-edge applique work. The binding is coming loose in several places. Quilt has been laundered. Hole in green border.

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Number of quilt blocks:

12

Size of quilt blocks:

15" x 15"

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Separated by sashing with cornerstones or connecting blocks

Sashing width:

1 1/2"

Number of different block patterns used in the quilt:

1

Number of borders:

2

Describe the borders:

Inner: 3 1/2" green Outer 2 1/2" red

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Solid/plain

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Applique

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Embroidery

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

What color is the back of the quilt?

Cream

Describe the back:

Same fabric used throughout; Solid/plain

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Cotton

How is the binding made?

Bias grain

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:

7

Width between quilting lines:

1"

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Elbow/fan; Outline; Single parallel lines

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

Each tulip is either made of purple solid cotton with a yellow petal in the center or made of red solid cotton with a purple petal in the center of the flower. Each tulip has a bud stitched on the side of the stem. Appliqued stems are 1" wide made of green solid cotton. All of the appliques are outlined in black embroidery thread in the "stem" or "outline" stitch.

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

A New Deal for Quilts, The International Quilt Museum, Janneken Smucker, curator, Lincoln, NE, October 6, 2023 - April 20, 2024.

Source of the information on this quilt:

MSU 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

Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:

This quilt was collected by Cuesta Benberry to further her research on quiltmaking and/or African American quiltmaking. Her son donated the collection to the Michigan State University Museum when she passed away in 2007.

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

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

Made entire quilt

The quilt was made to be used for:

Bedding, daily use

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

Mrs. Benberry noted that this quilt was one of the WPA quilts from the Great Depression era. She explained that the government hired artists and craftspersons to make quilts during that time of economic hardship. This program served two purposes: These quilts were something of use, utilitarian, yet beautiful and also gave work to talented Americans who had no other means of employment. She noted that the quilt was made by Minnie Benberry, her husband's mother (her mother-in-law). A WPA social worker came to the area of Kentucky where the Benberry's lived. "The pattern was brought to rural western Kentucky...by a WPA social worker, and given to families that wanted it. The farm families, scattered over a wide area, were unaware that other families had received the same pattern. When the women gathered in the spring at the church yard to quilt their tops..., they were surprised that each woman had the same pattern on her quilt top. They named the quilt design the 'W.P.A. Tulip' because of the social worker who gave the pattern to them."

Who photographed this quilt?

Pearl Yee Wong

Copyright holder:

MSU Board of Trustees