Minneapolis Institute of Art

Baltimore signature album quilt top

United States (Maryland)

Date

1844–45

Medium

Cotton, pieced, appliquéd, embroidered, and inscribed

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Thirty-six women made this quilt top, each contributing a unique square, which she signed. Signature album quilts were a collective form of remembrance—a record of the names, kind sentiments, and sewing skills of a group of friends. Such quilts became popular in the 1840s, a period of national expansion when many people, moving westward, desired a material reminder of the communities they left behind. Album quilts were especially popular in Baltimore, where the Methodist Church had a strong presence. Methodist ministers had to move to a different congregation every year, and on their arrival or departure they often received an album quilt from the congregation. This quilt top was not completed with a backing, so it likely was never presented to the intended recipient. United States, Americas

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