Commemorative Quilts

by Erin Doane, curator

Quilts keep people warm and beautify their homes. They can also commemorate events. CCHS has a wonderful collection of quilts made to mark various happenings including weddings, wars, and fundraisers. Over this past summer, we had commemorative quilts on display here at the museum. Here is a sampling of those quilts.

The first quilt marks the relocation of this institution. The Chemung County Historical Society moved from 304 William Street to 415 East Water Street in 1982. CCHS members and volunteers made a quilt to commemorate the opening of the museum at its new location in the former Chemung Canal Bank building. The Historical Society’s logo and the date May 15, 1982 are embroidered near the bottom right of the quilt.

Commemorative quilt, 1982

Detail of embroidery on quilt

Other businesses and organizations appear on quilts that were created locally to recognize collaborative efforts to raise funds or to make improvements to the local community.  A heavily-embroidered coverlet highlighting some local businesses was designed by William Brownlow and embroidered by the Friendly Class of the First Methodist Church on Baldwin Street in Elmira. Each of the 13 squares represents a business or group of businesses including Dimon & Bacorn Truckmen, the Second National Bank, and J. Greener Pianos. It is possible that the businesses made financial contributions in order to be included on the coverlet.

Embroidered coverlet, c. 1912

Detail of one embroidered block

Major events in U.S. history have also been commemorated locally in little squares of fabric. During the Civil War (1861-1865), men from throughout Chemung County enlisted or were drafted into local regiments. Elmira served as a military depot and rendezvous point for western New York. Thousands of Union soldiers trained at four camps here before being sent south to fight. For many years after the war, veterans met at regimental reunions. Ribbons from those reunions were often sewn into commemorative quilts. One crazy quilt in the museum’s collection commemorates both national and local events and people involved in the Civil War. The locations of major battles are embroidered above the fans around the edge of the quilt. Names of notable generals are embroidered throughout. At its center is a memorial ribbon for Ulysses S. Grant. Other ribbons on the quilt are from reunions of the local 141^st and 161^st New York Volunteer Regiments. 

Crazy quilt, post-1888

Detail of quilt showing 161^st Regiment reunion ribbon

Many quilts were made to mark the United States Bicentennial in 1976. Genevieve Taylor of Elmira designed a quilt to celebrate the Bicentennial. Members of the community embroidered the 49 individual squares. Designs on the quilt include images from the American Revolution, national figures, and objects common in 1776 such as tin lanterns and spinning wheels. Images from local history are also shown, including John Hendy’s cabin, Mark Twain’s study, and a Westside Railroad trolley.

Bicentennial quilt, 1976

Students from 1st through 6th grade at Hendy Avenue School also created a quilt commemorating the Bicentennial as a school project. The quilt is made from fabric prints of the students’ original crayon drawings. Images commemorating the Bicentennial include the Liberty Bell, Paul Revere, and the Boston Tea Party.

Bicentennial quilt, 1976

One more, very common thing to commemorate with a quilt is friendship. During much of the 19th century, quilts were made by groups of women and given as gifts for weddings and other celebrations. Each women would produce a single square and then all the pieces were sewn together. Many friendship quilts include the signatures of those who made the quilt, dedications to the recipient, and mementos of times spent together. Abbey A. Baldwin of Southport received an autographed friendship quilt in 1851. Each of the 36 squares contains the signature of a friend or family member from Southport, Elmira, Horseheads, Corning, or Ridgebury, Pennsylvania.

Friendship quilt, 1851

Album quilts were another type of friendship quilt popular in the mid-19^th century. They feature elaborate applique designs, typically in reds, blues, and greens. This quilt was given as a gift to Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Smith by their friends in Elmira in 1860. Squares were made by 29 individuals including members of the Brace, Likes, and Fuller families. Each square has a unique pattern and is signed by its maker.

Album quilt, 1860

In 1890, the friends of Katherine Sheehan Connelly made a quilt as a gift for her wedding. Each of the 16 squares in the crazy quilt was crafted from silks and velvets that may have come from the young women’s old dresses. The squares are decorated with elaborate embroidery, monograms, and flowers. Two of the squares include silk-screened portraits of young women and others have ribbons from events hosted by the Knights of Tara Hiawatha, a local Irish social club. 

Wedding quilt, 1890

Detail of a silk-screened portrait

Another silk-screened portrait

Southport Coverlets

by Erin Doane, curator

In the 1830s, weavers in Southport made wonderful blue and white coverlet. They were double-woven so one side is dark and the other side is light and they were usually made of a combination of wool and cotton or linen. The fancy weaving was done on a hand loom with a Jacquard attachment that used punched cards to produce intricate designs including flowers and leaves, geometric patterns, animals, and buildings. Many of the coverlets include a name, the year, and “Southport” in the corner block. There were at least seven weavers in Southport doing this type of work in the early 19^th century.

"Southport" coverlet, Elizabeth Tuthill, 1833

 The first woolen factory in Southport was built around 1821 by Silas Billings. It was one of the first such factories in the county. In 1825, Billings sold the mill to Solomon L. Smith. Soon after that, Charles Evans came to Southport and got involved in the business. He purchased the factory in 1844 and operated it until June 25, 1877 when it burned to the ground. At the time it burned, the mill was the oldest manufacturing establishment in town. Evans lived out his days in Southport and passed away in February of 1882 at the age of 83.

There was also a wool carding and fulling mill on Seeley Creek. It was built by Philo Jones in 1829 and started operating in 1830. He sold the mill to his brother Simeon R. Jones in 1843 who operated it for another five years. In 1848 he sold the machinery to William Benedict who moved the operation to Wysox, Pennsylvania.

Not only were factories in Southport processing wool, they were also producing fabric. Fancy weaving was a fairly common trade in Southport in the 1830s. Charles Evans was in the fancy weaving business from 1834 until 1837 but he was not without competition. J.S. Baker, C.S. Baker, S.G. Stryker, and a Mr. Tuttle were also producing fancy woven coverlets at that time. Jonathan Conger and David Pollay were half-brothers who grew up in Groton, New York and who both took up the trade of fancy weaving in Southport in the 1830s.

Elmira Star Gazette, 1839

Jonathan Conger came to Southport around 1837 and operated as a fancy weaver until 1839. That year, he advertised in the Elmira Star Gazette that he “wove ingrain carpet and Venetian Carpets, Double Carpet and Float work Coverlets.” He stayed in Southport at least through the early 1840s before moving back to Groton.

Elmira Star Gazette, 1842

David Pollay learned how to weave from Jonathan Conger. Pollay moved to Southport sometime in the mid-1830s and did fancy weaving for a time. For some reason, he gave up weaving and went into carpentry. Around 1843 he relocated to Hammondsport where he apparently went back into the weaving business. 

Here Comes the Bride but Where is the Groom?

by Erin Doane, Curator

While searching for objects to put on display in our upcoming exhibit ‘Til Death Do Us Part: Wedding and Funeral Traditions in Chemung County (opening to the public on October 18^th), it was not so much what I found that caught my attention but rather it was what I did not find.  CCHS has over fifty bridal gowns in its collection but only one groom’s suit. 

The wedding suit from 1880 with two wedding gowns of the same period
(photo from previous CCHS exhibit)

This 50:1 ratio seems high but I imagine it is not very unusual in museum collections.  Women’s wedding gowns, especially from the late 19^th Century through today, were often dresses made or purchased for that one, special event.  It was highly unlikely that the bride would ever wear her wedding gown again.  The dresses were kept and cherished by the bride and sometimes passed on to her daughters before ending up in a museum’s collection.  As many weddings seem to be focused on the bride – it’s her big day! – it makes sense that so much emphasis is placed on her dress.

 

Bridal portrait, 1957

The lack of grooms’ outfits may be that men are just not very sentimental about the clothing they wore at their wedding.  There are several other possible reasons why suits are so outnumbered by gowns.  The groom could, and often did, wear his suit again for other events and occasions.  It was not a one-of-a-kind, one-time garment.  Military men often wore their dress uniforms at their weddings, completely bypassing the need for a special suit.  And in modern times, many grooms rent a suit or tuxedo for their wedding that is returned after the ceremony. 

 

Groom and his attendants, 1959

The shortage of men’s wedding clothing could also be simply a lack of information in the museum’s records.  There are ten tuxedos in the CCHS collection though none have been positively associated with a groom.  This 5:1 dress to suit ratio is much better and will assure that the lovely bridal gowns we put on display will not be alone.  
 

Wedding portrait, 1880

Salvaging Your History: Tips for Saving Water-Damaged Objects at Home

By Erin Doane, Curator

With enough money and resources, nearly anything damaged in a flood can be cleaned and restored.  But no one, not even museums, has unlimited funding.  That doesn’t mean that if your home is flooded that you have to throw everything away that you can’t afford to have professionally treated; nor would you want to.  We collect many things in our lives that have great sentimental and historical value.  Many of these things can be dried and saved by you at home without too much expense.

There are many good resources online for dealing with flood-damaged objects.  Heritage Preservation (HP) has posted tips online and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has consulted with the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) and the National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property (NIC) for recommendations on water-damaged belongings.  My personal favorite resources come in the form of Conserve O Grams created by the National Park Service that offer advice on how to treat specific types of objects by material.

The following basic information is a combination of expert advice from these sources, some personal knowledge and a dose of common sense.  Every item is different so these general guidelines may not work for everything.  Thoughtful consideration should be done before treatment so more damage is not done to the object.

Furniture

You should try to dry out solid wood furniture within 24 hours.  Any longer and mold growth will begin and make it harder to save the piece.  Remove all the drawers and open up the doors of the piece of furniture.  Blot the water from all surfaces with clean cotton cloths or paper towels.  Do not rub because flood waters can contain dirt and mud that will scratch the surface. Allow the furniture to slowly air-dry indoors.  Rapid drying can cause warping and cracking. Remove moisture from the room with fans but don’t point fan airflow directly at the furniture.

It may be possible to salvage some upholstered furniture but a professional should be hired for the task.  Mold growth is hard to stop and contaminants are nearly impossible to eliminate at home so it is better to leave the care of your antique Belter armchair to a professional. 

Clothing and Textiles

Most personal textiles are everyday clothing and bedding that can simply be machine washed and dried if you decide to salvage them.  For heirloom items, though, like great Aunt Sara’s quilt or grandma’s wedding gown, careful treatment is needed.  Wet textiles can be very fragile and heavy so be cautious when moving them.  They should be dried within 48 hours, especially during warmer weather to prevent mold growth.  Anything that cannot be treated in that time frame can be frozen then thawed later in small batches when you have time to dry them.  Items with dyes that won’t run should be rinsed as soon as possible then laid flat to air-dry indoors.  Do not wring or twist the items.  Blot them with clean, lint free towels and keep the air circulating to help them dry.  Leather items should be treated within 24 hours.  They can be air-dried but require special care to keep them flexible so it is best to seek professional help.

Kitchen Wares

Most of our kitchens are filled with glass and ceramic cups and dishes, metal pots and pans and flatware and other utensils made of metal and plastic that can all be simply washed clean and left to air-dry.  Kitchen gadgets like blenders and coffee makers, once soaked in flood waters are usually not salvageable.

Electronics

Most electronics cannot survive a flood.  Unless it’s your great grandfather’s radio that he used at the Battle of the Bulge, let it go.

Other Decorative Items Around the House

Air-drying as soon as possible is recommended for most items you find on the shelves and tables  around the house.  Things like wicker baskets or items with shell or bone should be treated within 24 hours.  They should be wrapped in absorbent towels and air-dried with fans pushing the moist air out of the room.  Baskets, especially, should be handled with care because they will be very fragile.  On the other hand, ceramic statuary, other high-fired ceramics, and glass items are fairly stable even when soaking wet so they can be dried after more fragile items.  Terracotta items, however, are very fragile when wet and should be treated quickly and with care.  Bronze trophies, brass plaques, and the like can usually wait up to 48 hours to be dried unless they are corroded.  The longer they are wet the worse the corrosion will get.  If the item is mounted on wood, it should be dried sooner.  As with most other items, blot with absorbent towels and air-dry.

Photographs, Books and Documents

Paper-based items are a whole different subject.  Check out "Drowning Memories" by our archivist Rachel Dworkin for tips on how to treat those items.

Every object is different and will need to be considered individually but these tips and other available guidelines should help you salvage a family heirloom or two in case disaster strikes and you don’t have the resources for professional treatment.