Chintz Appliqué Albums: Memory and Meaning in Nineteenth

216 Pages·2013·4.93 MB·English

by  Carolyn K. Ducey

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Public Access Theses and Dissertations from Education and Human Sciences, College of
the College of Education and Human Sciences (CEHS)
2010
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Carolyn K. Ducey
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected]
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Ducey, Carolyn K., "Chintz Appliqué Albums: Memory and Meaning in Nineteenth Century Quilts of the
Delaware River Valley" (2010). Public Access Theses and Dissertations from the College of Education and
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Chintz Appliqué Albums: Memory and Meaning
in Mid-nineteenth Century Quilts of the Delaware River Valley

by
Carolyn K. Ducey
A DISSERTATION

Presented to the Faculty of
The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska
In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements
For the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Major: Interdepartmental Area of Human Sciences
(Textiles, Clothing & Design)

Under the Supervision of Professor Patricia Crews
Lincoln, Nebraska
June, 2010
Chintz Appliqué Albums: Memory and Meaning
in Mid-nineteenth Century Quilts of the Delaware River Valley
by
Carolyn K. Ducey, Ph.D.
University of Nebraska, 2010
Advisor: Patricia Crews
This study examined two sub-sets of a unique style of chintz appliqué album quilt that developed
in the 1840s in Delaware River Valley, specifically Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Trenton, New Jersey.
The two groups provide examples of two distinct roles that the album quilts played in the lives of their
makers: one acting as a literal record of familial ties, serving to preserve memory and reinforce family
structure and the other representing the work of the members of the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia,
providing a vehicle to recognize and appreciate dedicated service and playing a role in encouraging
interest and support for international missions.
Historical and genealogical research of the inscribed details substantiated the connection between
each group of quilts and provided an opportunity to uncover rich details of the economic position and
societal roles of the individuals whose names are inscribed on the quilts, and offered a means to better
understand the cultural environment in which they were made. Research of the sub-sets, now identified as
the Fish/Perrine Album quilts (a group of three quilts) and the First Baptist Church Album Quilts, (a
group of five quilts and a sixth non-extant quilt known through written sources) has advanced the study of
quilt history by placing the quilts in the larger context of American quiltmaking; women’s history, through
investigation of expectations placed on women by the emergence of the American middle class,
urbanization, and the expansion of the American consumer culture, and social history, which revealed the
importance for nineteenth century individuals, of maintaining family connections and preserving memory.
The quiltmaking activities of these individuals served to solidify their roles as wives and mothers and as
productive citizens of their communities and the world.
iii

All photographs by Carolyn Ducey, unless otherwise cited.

Copyright Carolyn K. Ducey
All rights Reserved, 2010
iv

Dedication:
This dissertation is dedicated to my parents
Donald and Darlene Haselhorst Ducey
who taught all eight of their children the importance of education.
v

Acknowledgements:
I wish to thank my family for their constant support and encouragement, specifically my husband,
Benjamin De Bord. I also wish to thank Dr. Patricia Crews, my advisor, and the members of my graduate
committee, Dr. Julie Johnson, Dr. Barbara Trout, and Dr. Ken Winkle and the staff of the International
Quilt Study Center & Museum, Marin Hanson, Maureen Ose, Janet Price, Barbara Caron, Mary Ourecky,
and Joy Glenn, for their unfailing support. I also want to express my deep appreciation for the volunteers
of the International Quilt Study Center & Museum who supported me through completion of my graduate
studies.
In addition, I wish to thank the following scholars and museum professionals that assisted me by
generously making the various quilts and quilt information available to me and encouraging me to carry
on to uncover the intriguing stories behind them: Nao Nomura; Xenia Cord; Dilys Blum, Curator of
Costume & Textiles, Kristina Haugland, Associate Curator of Costume and Textiles and Supervising
Curator for the Study Room and Academic Relations, and assistants Hella Bloom, Ingrid Johnson, and
Stephanie Feaster of the Philadelphia Museum of Art; Alden O’Brien, Curator of Costume and Textiles,
Daughters of the American Revolution Museum; Paul Manoguerra, Curator of American Art, and Deirdre
Conneely, Associate Curator, Georgia Museum of Art; and Alice Zrebiec, Curator of Textiles, Denver Art
Museum.
I also wish to thank the following individuals who helped to facilitate this research: Patricia Herr,
board member of the Philadelphia Museum of Art; Betty Layton, archivist at the American Baptist
Historical Society in Atlanta, Georgia, and Beryl Russell, archivist of the First Baptist Church of
Philadelphia and her two associates Jan Rodgers and Mary Lynn Williams.
Lastly, a very special thank you to Joan Laughlin for the enormous amount of time she dedicated
to genealogical research of the many individuals named on these quilts and for her unfailing support and
enthusiasm as I completed this project.
vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Title Page……………………………………………………………………….……………….Page i

Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………….Page ii
Copyright………………………………………………………………………………………..Page iii
Dedication……………………………………………………………………………………….Page iv
Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………...Page v
Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………………..Page vi
List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………….…..Page viii
Chapter One: Introduction, Literature Review and Sources….…………………………………Page 1
Chapter Two: Chintz Appliqué Quilts…………………………………………………………..Page 11
Chapter Three: The Fish Family Album Quilts…………………………………………………Page 31
Chapter Four: The First Baptist Church Album Quilts………………………………………….Page 63
Chapter Five: Conclusion and Summary……………………………………………….…….....Page 120
Endnotes…………………………………………………………………………………………Page 128
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………..Page 141
Appendices………………………………………………………………………………………Page 148
A. Tables Illustrating Location of Names on Quilts
A.1 Emma Fish album…………………………………………………….….. Page 148
A.2 Emmeline Fish Album………………………………………………….…Page 149
A.3 Anna Perrine Album…………………………………………….…….…..Page 150
B. Compilation of All Dates Found on Fish/Perrine Quilts…………………...…….….Page 151
C. Shared Fabrics in Fish/Perrine Quilts………………………………….…...…….… Page 153
D. Occupation of Individuals Named on the Fish/Perrine Quilts…….…….……….…..Page 160
E. Fish/Perrine Family Sources
E.1 Fish Family…………………………………………………………..........Page 161
vii

E.2 Howell Family……………………………………………….…...…….…Page 165
E.3 Moore Family……………………………………………………………..Page 166
E.4 Perrine Family………………………………………………………….…Page 167
F. Primary Sources for Individuals Unrelated to Fish/Perrine Families…………….....Page 168
G. Individuals on Fish/Perrine Quilts without Documentation………………………...Page 173
H. Tables Illustrating Location of Names on Quilts
H.1 Rhees Album…………………………………………………………….. Page 174
H.2 Wattson Album………………………………………………………..….Page 175
H.3 Holcombe Album…………………………………………………….…...Page 176
H.4 Watkinson Album………………………………………………….….….Page 177
H.5 Easby Album……………………………………………………………. .Page 178
I. Writing Styles……………………………………………………………………...…Page 179
J. First Baptist Church Family Sources
J.1 Rhees Family………..……………………………………………….….…Page 180
J.1 Wattson Family………………...…………………………………….….…Page 184
J.1 Holcombe Family……………………...…………………………………...Page 188
J.1 Watkinson Family……………………………………………………….…Page 189
J.1 Easby Family……………………………………………………………….Page 190
J.1 Deborah Wade ……………………………………………………………..Page 191
K. Occupation of Individuals Named on the First Baptist Church Quilts.......................Page 193
L. Primary Sources for Individuals Who Were First Baptist Church Members...….......Page 194
M. Primary Sources for Individuals without Membership in First Baptist Church….…Page 203
N. Compilation of Names Associated with Roxborough and/or Manuyunk Church......Page 204
O. Individuals on First Baptist Church Quilts without Documentation………………. Page 205
viii

Figures
Figure 2.1 Detail: Chintz yardage………………………………….………………………….. Page 18
Figure 2.2 Detail: IQSC 1997.007.0306……………………………………….……………….Page 18
Figure 2.3 Detail: IQSC 1997.007.0306…………………………………………….………… Page 19
Figure 2.4 Detail: IQSC 2006.006.0003……………………………………………….……… Page 19
Figure 2.5 Detail: IQSC 2005.053.0003………………………………………………………. Page 19
Figure 2.6 Medallion IQSC 2008.040.0001…………………………………………………....Page 20
Figure 2.7 Tree of Life IQSC 2007.034.0001……………………………………………….…Page 21
Figure 2.8 Star of Bethlehem IQSC 1997.007.0369……………………………….…………..Page 23
Figure 2.9 Medallion IQSC 2007.040.0001……………………………………………………Page 24
Figure 2.10 Medallion IQSC 1997.007.0479…………………………………………………..Page 27
Figure 2.11 Medallion IQSC 2001.015.0001…………………………………………………..Page 28
Figure 2.12 Album IQSC 1997.007.0890……………………………………………………. .Page 29
Figure 3.1 Album DAR #5254……………………………………………………….………. .Page 33
Figure 3.2 Detail: DAR #5254 ……………………………………………………….………..Page 34
Figure 3.3 Detail: DAR #5254………………………………………………………….……...Page 34
Figure 3.4 Benjamin Fish……………………………………………………………….……...Page 37
Figure 3.5 Detail: DAR #5254………………………………………………………….……. .Page 39
Figure 3.6 Detail: DAR #5254………………………………………………………….……. .Page 40
Figure 3.7 Album IQSC 2005.053.0003………………………………………………….……Page 42
Figure 3.8 Detail: IQSC 2005.053.0003………………………………………………….……Page 43
Figure 3.9 Detail: A. IQSC 2005.053.0003; B. IQSC 2005.053.0003…………………….…..Page 46
Figure 3.10 Detail: IQSC 2005.053.0003…………………………………………………..… Page 46
Figure 3.11 Detail: A. DAR #5254; B. IQSC 2005.053.0003…………………………..….….Page 47
Figure 3.12 Album DAM #1985.300…………………………………………………………. Page 50
Figure 3.13 Detail: A. DAR #5254; B. IQSC 2005.053.0003; C. DAM #1985.300;
ix

D. DAR #5254; E. DAR #5254……..……….………………………………………. Page 54-55
Figure 3.14 A. DAR #5254; B. IQSC 2005.053.0003; C. DAM #1985.300……………….… Page 60-61
Figure 4.1 Album IQSC 2008.040.0004……………………………………………………… Page 76
Figure 4.2 Detail: IQSC 2008.040.0004………………………………………………….…... Page 77
Figure 4.3 Detail: IQSC 2008.040.0004………………………………………………….…....Page 78
Figure 4.4 Detail: IQSC 2008.040.0004………………………………………………….…....Page 78
Figure 4.5 Detail: IQSC 2008.040.0004………………………………………………….…....Page 79
Figure 4.6 Ann Loxley Rhees…………………………………………………………….……Page 80
Figure 4.7 John Loxley Rhees……………………………………….……………………..….Page 82
Figure 4.8 Benjamin Rush Rhees……………………………………….…………………..... Page 83
Figure 4.9 Morgan John Rhees………………………………………….…………………..... Page 85
Figure 4.10 Mary Ann Rhees Jackson…………………………………….………….….….... Page 86
Figure 4.11 Eliza Rhees Murray……………………………………………….….….……..... Page 87
Figure 4.12 Album PMA #1982-134-1……………………………………….…….….…….. Page 88
Figure 4.13 Detail: PMA #1982-134-1………………………………………….……..…….. Page 89
Figure 4.14 Detail: PMA #1982-134-1………………………………………….…………….Page 90
Figure 4.15 Detail: PMA #1982-134-1………………………………………….……...……..Page 91
Figure 4.16 Wattson Tombstone.………………………………………………….……..……Page 93
Figure 4.17 Detail: PMA #1982-134-1…………………………………………….……….....Page 94
Figure 4.18 Album (detail) GMA 2002.58…………………………………………….……...Page 96
Figure 4.20 Detail PMA 1991-167-1………………………………………………………….Page 102
Figure 4.21 Detail PMA 1991-167-1………………………………………………………….Page 102
Figure 4.22 Detail PMA 1991-167-1………………………………………………………….Page 103
Figure 4.23 Detail PMA 1991-167-1 …………………………………………………………Page 103
Figure 4.24 Detail PMA 1991-167-1………………………………………………….………Page 103
Figure 4.25 Album IQSC 2009.006.0001…………………………………………….……….Page 108