Join us for the Finale @ the Historic Hoosier Theatre, December 3rd @ 4pm.
Please text Brack a picture all your keys and bring them on the 3rd.
Notable #8 - A Quilting World Rarity, American War Textile Depicts Vevay's Settlement
... and just how did it end up in Kansas?
Poos Collection - 1820's Table Cover
If you're not in the quilting world, just looking at this picture probably wouldn't arouse any sort of emotion, and you'd move on. But if you're from Switzerland County, HOLD ON JUST A SECOND!!!!!! Research has shown it has everything to do with the founding of Switzerland County.
Zooming in, this unassuming quilt holds a massive history explosion with 41 different pictorial scenes all encompassed within within a 5' diameter. Researchers believe it shows portions of the life of Antoinette (Dufour) Morerod, who was among the first family of Dufour's to cross the Atlantic and eventually settle in this area. Some of the subject matter appears to include; the first steamboat passing by on the Ohio, Jean Jacques Dufour chopping a tree, soldiers in full regalia and meeting with George Ash. Animals, plants, people, coffins, pikes, and mermaids are just some of the imagery used in the creation of this quilt.
Now, if someone presented any one of the individual scenes as a hand drawn picture, I personally wouldn't be terribly impressed. To see, though, all the scenes in combination and then to realize someone hand stitched all these tiny pieces of fabric together ... well, my hats off to the creator. Well done.
The owner of the Table Cover is the Quilt and Textile Collections (QTC), in Overland Park, Kansas. The QTC was formed in 2011 to oversee and share the Poos Collection, one of the largest privately held quilt and textile collections in the world. It was created in part to find a way to share with the general public these rare, delicate and climate sensitive fabrics while preserving their current condition. So the QTC creates books, presentations and special exhibits so as many as possible can experience these works of art.
Copyright QTC
The QTC acquired this quilt in 2015 during a quilting festival in Texas. Up until October 2020, it was the only known example of an "American Pictorial War Textile" in the United States, but since there have been 2 others found. I've contacted the manager of the QTC, Lori Triplett, and she is eager to find out more about the quilt beyond the research she has already compiled. If you happen to have any history or provenance of this 1820's Table Cover, I'm sure Lori would appreciate the information.
If you would like to see high resolution images of all the scenes and read the current research associated with many of the scenes, you can purchase "Hidden Treasures" directly from the Poos Collection here or the ebook here.(not affiliate links)
Clue #8 of Dufour's Keys
The clue and location were one of the easier combinations. Once the notable quilt was found, its description easily led to Kansas, pictorial and historical. I was aware of the recent move made by the Cardinal Quilt Shop, so I stopped in one chilly January day. This beautiful lady named Helen, who I interrupted from her quilting, came and spoke with me for a few minutes. Helen had the warmest hands and she was so kind to give me permission to place the key out front of her property. Thank you Helen.