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Sears Quilt Contest 06: Commemorative Quilts in Black and White

Commemorative Quilts in Black and White
Criticism by Ida Stow and others who took the extra time to make Century of Progress quilts may have prompted the contest organizers to make amends.  In 1934, Sears brought together a group of these quilts for a special showing at the Sears Pavilion.  The quilts were photographed in black and white by Sears staff photographers.  Although the names of the quilters were not recorded, we are lucky to have the documentation.  Two quilts have been found including one by Ida Stow.

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Teepees to Temples
Maker unknown
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
1933
Private Collection

Appliqué pictorial medallion quilt depicting Chicago's history from 1833 to 1933--from Teepees to Temples.

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Century of Progress
Maker unknown
1933
Private Collection

Commemorative Quilt (Sears Archives Photo)

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A Century of Progress
Ida Mae Stow
Park Ridge, Illinois
1933
Collection of the International Quilt Study Center & Museum acc.#1997.007.0947

Commemorative Quilt featuring the spinning globe logo of the Century of Progress Exposition.

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World's Fair Building 1933
Helen E. Billick
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
1933
Private Collection

To encourage quiltmakers to submit original designs, the contest organizers at Sears Roebuck & Co. offered a bonus prize of $250. Several people took the challenge, but the $250 was not awarded.

This quiltmaker's husband designed her quilt in the Century of Progress theme in the hopes that his wife would win the bonus prize. Notice the official entry tag is still attached to right front corner. The quiltmaker's Honorable Mention ribbon from the Chicago Region remains with the quilt.

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American Pride
Zemma Haynes Taylor
Farmerville, Louisiana
1933
Collection of The Henry Ford, Acc.#33.361.1

Zemma Haynes Taylor (1886-1951) was the wife of Farmerville, Louisiana physician Jordan G. Taylor. She made this quilt for the quilt contest sponsored by Sears & Roebuck as part of the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition. Later that year, Taylor sent the quilt to industrialist Henry Ford as a gift from "the wife of a country doctor who appreciates the Ford car." Physicians were often the first to acquire automobiles in smaller towns and rural communities. Many doctors chose to drive a dependable Ford automobile to visit their patients—at a time when doctors still made house calls.

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Century of Progress
Samantha Allison Wise
Knoxville, Tennessee
1933

Private Collection

The quilt design was based on the theme of the 1933 Chicago World's Fair--A Century of Progress. This quiltmaker includes pictorial scenes related to the history of Chicago, the World's Fair (Star Arcturus and the Sears Building)and advances in area of transportation (horse-drawn wagon, Greyhound bus, airplane, train, car, and rocket).

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Century of Progress World's Fair Special
Sophie Schoenike Krueger Clark
Birnamwood, Wisconsin
1933
Private Collection

Sophia designed a Map of the World made of fifty-one different colors. A flag with stars representing all the nations of the world was stitched below the map and flanked by a quilted Spirit of St. Louis and Graf Zepplin. Sophia entered the quilt in the original design division and received a green merit award at the local level.  

Merikay Waldvogel
2011
All rights reserved

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