Featured Program

PATTERNS OF THE PAST:
A CENTURY OF AMERICAN QUILTING

New Hoover Exhibit Will Feature the History of a Uniquely American Folk Art
January 23 – March 21

West Branch, Iowa – The Herbert Hoover Museum’s newest exhibit will explore selected heirloom quilt patterns as they have evolved over nearly 100 years from 1850 to 1940.  Quilt collector Nancy Pfutzenreuter has selected 24 favorite quilts from her outstanding collection of 100 quilts for display at the museum from January 23 – March 21, 2010.

Nancy has collected quilts for over 20 years. She chooses the quilts because of their workmanship, the fabrics, colors and patterns used, their general condition, and their history and age.  Nancy always says about the quilts, “the older the better!”
This exceptional exhibition will focus on three distinct quilt traditions:  Amish and Mennonite designs; Classic Appliqué designs; and the Unique and Unusual quilts – these will round out the exhibit.

Two examples of her unusual quilts are a handkerchief quilt and a quilt from the 1933 world’s fair. The Children's Handkerchief quilt was made from hankies that were used to advertise the Humpty Dumpty Circus, which first appeared in New York City in 1868. A 1933 Chicago Worlds Fair quilt is one of Nancy’s favorites.  A nation-wide quilt contest mounted by Sears offered a grand prize of $1000.  Three winners from ten regional contests were exhibited in the Sears Pavilion at the Chicago Worlds Fair. Nancy owns one of those quilts and it is on display as part of the exhibit.

 The display also touches on the history of this exceptional art form. One surprising fact is that quilting in the Colonial era was a rare pastime. By about 1840, quilting became more common because the textile industry had begun producing widely-available fabrics. By the 1860s, patriotism spurred women at home to make over 250,000 quilts for Union soldiers alone. 

During America’s push to the Western frontier, pioneering families were encouraged to bring enough bedding to last a few years, because both quilting supplies and quilting time would be scarce on the frontier.

The Victorian Era brought lavish embellishments to some quilt patterns, but conversely, there was also a trend toward simplification. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, a creative quilter used materials such as fabric scraps or feed, flour, and sugar sack prints. When many women joined the workforce in World War II, the popularity of quilting declined.

In Amish and Mennonite communities, however, the popularity of quilting never waned. Although changes in style occurred only with community approval, this also brought about variety from community to community.

During the Bicentennial of the American Revolution in 1976, a revival of interest in quilting caused the American public to rediscover the beauty of Amish and Mennonite quilting as well as traditional patterns of the past. Today, many women, their daughters and more than a few sons enjoy quilting as a form of creativity and relaxation.

“Patterns of the Past” will continue until March 21. The Hoover Museum is open seven days a week from nine to five pm. and located just off I-80 at exit 254 in West Branch, Iowa.