1880-1889

Janet E. Finley Collection of Quilt History Photographs

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Cabinet Card c. 1883-1886
Photographer: Conly, Boston, Massachusetts
Size: 4.25" x 6.5"

A lovely Victorian girl poses for her portrait at Conly's Portraits in Boston, Massachusetts. The photographer very tastefully poses her on a textile that at first glace appears to be a Crazy quilt. On closer examination, this studio prop throw, with its tasseled dark velvet edge and silk stitchery surrounding a brocade-style upholstery insert, is not a Crazy quilt, but it does represent this particular photographer's response and recognition of the importance of the Crazy quilt in this time period. Charles F. Conley was a Boston photographer from 1877-1882 when he went by the spelling of "Conley." Then, in 1883, he dropped the "e" in his name and continued to take photos from 1883-1899.

-- With permission of the publisher, excerpted from Janet E. Finley, Quilts in EveryDay Life 1855-1955 (Schiffer Publishing, 2012).