Garfield's Monument Quilt
Unidentified Quilt Maker
Circa 1940
70 x 79 inches
Origin Unknown; Found in Ohio
In September of 1881, James Garfield, the 20th President of the United States, was assassinated in Washington DC. The country was not yet over experiencing the loss of Lincoln only sixteen years before. For some, this murder was yet another national trauma.
A quilt design seems to have been born out of this tragedy; it was called "Garfield's Monument." There are several monument in Garfields' honor, and the patchwork design here does indeed resemble the one in DC -- with a tiered pedestal on which a bronze figure of Garfield stands. (See my last photo)
Most examples of this design that I've seen were made in the 19th century, with in a few years of the assassination. This example, made with 1930s and 1940s prints is by far the "youngest" one I know of.
Who knows why a quilt maker choose this design sixty or so years after the event? Maybe she just liked the design. Maybe, since I found the quilt in Ohio, Garfield was local hero to her, as he was born in Northeastern Ohio.
Whatever its meaning to the maker, this quilt is wonderfully unusual, and visually striking. Each of the 380 tiny blocks contains 10 pieces, and if my math is even approximately right, that makes 3800 pieces, overall.
Excellent Condition. Thin and lightweight. Please note: Machine Quilted. Though a few very light spots remain after it was recently hand washed. Bright and super clean.
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