QUILT INDEX RECORD

16-12-268

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

DAR Museum

Who documented this quilt?

DAR Museum; Permanent Collection

DAR Number:

87.68

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Baltimore Album

Names for quilt's pattern in common use:

Jackson Quilt

How wide is the quilt?

95 inches

How long is the quilt?

97 3/4 inches

Shape of edge:

Straight

What color is the quilt?

Red; Green; White

Overall color scheme:

Multicolor

Quilt's condition:

Good/moderate use

Notes on condition, damage, or repairs:

Inked inscriptions faded and blurred

Type of inscription:

Date; Message; Initials; Place; Multiple Names

What is inscribed on the quilt?

A3 William Heckrote If not for fair woman's eye, this gift would useless be, No quilting needed but the sky, Nor shade of Eden's tree. A4 L.N. Benson B4 C.C. B5 A.E.J C3 Andrew Jackson Heart Victory At New Orleans January 8th 1815 The blessings of government, like the dews of heaven, should be equally dispersed on the rich and the poor A.J.W. Jackson D1 Kezia Spencer D3 A. Carson D4 M.J.C. D5 G.W.J. E4 Unreadable poem and D. Euler or Ehlers

What is the date inscribed on the quilt?

1815

Method used to make the inscription:

Embroidery; Ink

Location of inscription:

on block

Time period:

1850-1875

When was the quilt finished?

ca. 1850

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Subject of the quilt:

Battle of New Orleans, Andrew Jackson

Number of quilt blocks:

25

Size of quilt blocks:

16 x16

Arrangement of quilt blocks:

Straight

Spacing of quilt blocks:

Side by side

Number of different block patterns used in the quilt:

25

What is the shape of the quilt blocks?

Squares

Number of borders:

1

Describe the borders:

Appliqued vine with leaves and flowers around outer edge, 7 1/2 inches wide.

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Print; Solid/plain

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Piecing

Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Applique

Novelty techniques used to make the quilt top:

Dimensional applique

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Embroidery; Ink drawing

Embellishments used:

Metallic thread

Materials used to make the back:

Cotton

What color is the back of the quilt?

White

Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:

3

Width of pieces on the back:

26 1/2, 35 1/2, 35

Describe the back:

Same fabric used throughout

Materials used in the quilt binding:

Cotton

How is the binding made?

Front turned to back

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?

Cotton

How thick is the quilt?

Thin (Less than 3/16?)

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

Thread type used for the quilting:

cotton

Color of thread used in the quilting:

white

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:

12

Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:

16

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Outline; Single parallel lines

Quilting designs used, decorative motifs:

Other

Quilting designs used, background fills:

Parallel lines

Describe the quilting designs used:

hearts

Where the quilt was made, city:

Baltimore

Where the quilt was made, state:

Maryland (MD)

Where the quilt was made, country:

USA

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

The quilt commemorates Andrew Jackson's victory in New Orleans in 1815. Using ink and cross stitch inscriptions in the center block read: "Andrew Jackson's Heart, Victory at N.O. January 8, 1815, The Blessings of Government, like the dews of Heaven, should be equally dispersed on the rich and poor A.J.W. Jackson" Passed down in the Diffenderfer family, the quilt was originally owned by Betsy and William Harper. Family information dated the quilt 1815 from the inscription and believed the quilt was made in Lynchburg,Virginia. Research has shown that William Harper was from Lynchburg, but Betsy was a Baltimore native and the couple was living in Baltimore when the quilt was made, after Andrew Jackson's death in 1845. Neither of the Harper's names appear on the quilt. A.I. [or J.] W. Jackson [no known blood relation to President Andrew Jackson] and William Heckrote [whose name appears on Block A3] were prominent citizens of mid 19th century Baltimore. Other names on the quilt help narrow its date of creation. Ann Carson [Block D3] married Lloyd Benson [Block A4] on May 20. 1847. Kezia Spencer, nee Switzer [Block D1] married her second husband William O'Neal on June 4, 1848. Since both women use their maiden names on their blocks the quilt predates their marriages. Betsy and William Harper married on Oct. 26, 1848. They had no surviving children and the quilt was given to nephew James Diffenderfer. The initials C.C. on blocks B4 are probably for Ann Carson's mother, Coralee. A.E.J. [Block B5} is possibly A.I.W Jackson's daughter, Amanda. All named were members of the Baltimore Methodist Church. Described in Dunton, "Old Quilts"

Why was the quilt made?

Memorial

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

Quilts from a Young Country, Houston International Quilt Festival, 2008, Houston TX. Eye on Elegance: Early Quilts of Maryland and Virginia DAR Museum Washington, D.C. Oct. 3, 2014 – Sept. 5. 2015

Ownership of this quilt is:

Public-Other

Quilt owner's name:

DAR Museum

Quilt owner's city:

Washington, DC

Quilt owner's state:

Washington D.C.

Quilt owner's country:

USA

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

DAR Museum