Nancy W. (Rutherford) Fisher
1891 Quilt in Display in DC
On October 1st 1891, Mrs. S. J. Vernon was presented this
quilt, by her mother, who was aged 76.
Her mother was Nancy W. (Rutherford) Fisher. Members of her family gifted the quilt earlier this year to the
Smithsonian, and it will be on display until the end of this year
at the
National Museum of American History, in Washington, DC. Unfortunately the lighting is not great, it’s behind
glass, and there are a lot of flashing lights from the Batmobile display nearby
– given that, here are some images I took while there. The 73-inch by 79-inch quilt is a single
block – radiating from the center, with additional scraps pieced around it,
giving it a swirl design. The quilt had
remained in the family until this year, when Carol Nordquist and Howard Burl Hunt, Jr,
great-great-grand-children of the maker donated it to the museum. The quilt had its start in Missouri, then traveled down to Texas to the home of Sarah Jane (Fisher) Vernon in 1891. It is quite possible that the fabrics used to make the quilt were obtained from the dry goods store Nancy’s nephew worked at in St. Louis, Missouri. He was a merchant for the wholesale house Morrisse Lace and Embroidery Company. From Texas, the quilt made its way to California, and now finally to its permanent home in Washington, DC.
The Family Connection: Nancy W. (Rutherford) Fisher -- Sarah Jane (Fisher) Vernon -- Edith Anna (Vernon) Quattlebaum -- Nina Evelyn (Quattlebaum) Hunt -- Carol (Hunt) Nordquist & Howard Burl Hunt, Jr. And now millions of visitors from all over the world can admire the handiwork of Nancy W. (Rutherford) Fisher!
1 comment:
This quilt is exquisite and I can only wonder how more beautiful it would be face to face. Modern Quilters think they are doing something new and in a way they are but I would call it re-new. Thanks for all the wonderful info and phot.
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