Water Lily appliqué quilt, 1930s, made by Doris Beckman Schwettmann, Charleston, SC.

This delightful quilt has twenty-three appliquéd water lilies and lily pads surrounded by a scalloped green border, a wide white border with quilted flowers, and an outer border of appliquéd interlocking scallops. It has a white backing, thin batting and green binding. The pastel colors and minty green are very typical of the 1930s.

It is similar to a pattern published by a company like Mountain Mist®, who began printing patterns on their batting wrappers in 1930. Since it is obvious Doris was a skilled needleworker, perhaps she created her own design or used a pattern as a starting point. Her design has a variety of water lilies, while the Mountain Mist® pattern repeats the same flower. Some of the quilter’s markings are still visible under the appliqués and along the quilting lines.

Doris Beckman (1871-1950), born in Palmetto, GA, married Charleston pharmacist Dr. Frederick William Schwettmann. Her grandson, Fred J. Martschink, was the donor’s husband.

Gift of Pauline C. Martschink in 1999

Mountain Mist® is considered the original inventor of commercial filler products for quilters. They have been producing and marketing quilt batting, fiberfill and pillow forms since 1846. Their pattern collection began in 1929 when the sales manager, Fritz Hooker, decided to print patterns on the batting wrappers to boost sales. In the 1970s, the company reissued many of these 1930s & 1940s patterns on their batting wrappers and in 1998 actually published a book of these earlier patterns.

There seems to have been a resurgence of hand quilting in the 1930s, perhaps due to the hard times of the Depression. Pieced and appliquéd quilts allowed the re-use of fabric scraps into a functional, and beautiful, item. A handsome quilt provided beauty and creativity during these difficult time. The act of quilting – from sharing fabrics to quilting bees – provided a productive activity for women to share a bond of friendship. And quilt displays and contests, from local fairs to national events, often offered cash prizes, a huge incentive in those bleak years.

This quilt is on exhibit in Early 20^th Century Quilts until August 4, 2013

Like this pattern? Join us for a workshop to reproduce this quilt, April 13, 20, 27, 2013.

TEXTILE TUESDAYS: Each Tuesday we post a piece from our textile collection.  Some items have been on exhibit, some will eventually be shown in our Historic Textiles Gallery and some may be just too fragile to display. We hope you enjoy our selection each week – do let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see on TEXTILE TUESDAY! #TextileTuesday

Pinehurst Tea Plantation photographs
Founded in 1888 by Dr. Charles Shepard near the site of Andre Michaux’s original tea planting at Middleton Barony [Middleton Place]. Oolong was grown here (among others) and won first prize at the 1904 World’s Fair. The plantation remained prosperous until 1915, but declined with the death of Dr. Shepard. However, cuttings from these plants were used in South Carolina’s third and fourth attempts to commercially grow tea. Both the American Tea Growing Company (eventual failure) and the Charleston Tea Plantation (located on Wadmalaw Island in Charleston County and currently operated by R.C. Bigelow Tea) propagated plants from Pinehurst.

1. Rose Tea Garden at Pinehurst Tea Plantation, Autumn 1898
2. Darjeeling tea, circa 1900
3. Pinehurst School at Pinehurst Tea Plantation, circa 1900
4. Under the roses at Pinehurst Tea Plantation. Circa 1900.
5. Tea fields at Pinehurst Tea Plantation, circa 1900
6. Tea under shelter at Pinehurst Tea Gardens. Circa 1900

Want to learn more about Dr. Shepard’s tea efforts? Check out this New York Times article, “Tea Growing in South Carolina: Successful Experiments of Dr. Charles U. Shepard”, dated February 24, 1895.

EPHEMERA FRIDAY: Each Friday we post a selection or small collection from our Archives. Some items may be on exhibit, some may be too fragile to display and some may be too unusual to fit into our typical Lowcountry exhibit themes. We will occasionally ask for help identifying people or places in photographs that have come to us with little or no information. We hope you enjoy our selection each week – do let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see on EPHEMERA FRIDAY.

Cavalry Saber
Maker: William Glaze
Origin: Columbia, SC
Date: 1855-60
Copied from the standard Model 1840 sabers, this piece was carried by Corporal Alfred Manigault of Company K, 4th South Carolina Cavalry. Once a Columbia silversmith, William Glaze began a new career as an arms maker circa 1850. By 1855, Glaze advertises his firm as making edged weapons as well “converting old arms into more modern types. His timing was excellent. By the early 1860s and the outbreak of the Civil War, Glaze had partnered with Benjamin Flagg and converted the “Palmetto Iron Works” into the “Palmetto Armory.” For the duration of the war, Glaze and Flagg provided thousands of muskets, pistols and swords to the Confederate Military.

Weaponry Wednesday: Each Wednesday we post an object (or group of objects) from the Charleston Museum’s diverse weapons collection. Many Weaponry Wednesday items may be on permanent exhibit in our armory or elsewhere in the museum, but some pieces rarely see exhibition, temporary or permanent, but are well worth sharing.  We hope you enjoy our selection each week – do let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see on WEAPONRY WEDNESDAY! Also, we always want to learn more about our collection - if you have some insights on a piece, please feel free to share!  #WeaponryWednes

Brown leather and suede shoes, 1920s-1930s. The tan leather piping sets off the styling of these shoes, marked Delman / New York-Paris / Southampton-Washington, D.C. The back section and high, thin, straight-sided Louis heel are brown suede, the toe is brown leather. The open cut-out and skinny straps add glamour to this simple but stylish shoe. The small, plain buckle may help date these shoes earlier in the 1920s and be some of Delman’s earlier shoes.

The Delman label was established by Herman Delman (originally Nudelman) in 1919 as a made-to-order shop on Madison Avenue, N.Y. He expanded into ready-to-wear and cooperated with many famous shoe designers, especially Roger Vivier.

Delman one of the oldest and most respected salon brands in American footwear and is still available today. His concept was to produce glamorous, innovative, and classic styles designed to flatter and help a woman move gracefully day or night.

A 1934 article in Time Magazine states that when Delman gave up his retail store on Madison Avenue in 1933 and confined himself to manufacturing, he produced 2500 pairs / week of high-end ready-to-wear shoes.

Saks Fifth Ave signed a contract to be his exclusive agency in Manhattan; outside Manhattan, Delman shoes sold in 30 cities. Delman retired in 1954 and died in 1955; the business changed hands a few times and the brand belongs to Nina Footwear Co. since 1989.

20^th century stylesetters and influential women wore Delman shoes – Katherine Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Jacqueline Kennedy, Joan Crawford, and Mamie Eisenhower.

These shoes will be on exhibit in Fashion Accessories: Shoes from January 26 to June 9, 2013.

TEXTILE TUESDAYS: Each Tuesday we post a piece from our textile collection.  Some items have been on exhibit, some will eventually be shown in our Historic Textiles Gallery and some may be just too fragile to display. We hope you enjoy our selection each week – do let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see on TEXTILE TUESDAY! #TextileTuesday

These images of Charleston in the snow come to us from various photographers and donors - some with more information than others. Compiled weather statistics gave us a possible dates…there just has not been that many years where snow has fallen in Charleston! Some of the other parameters (buildings, streets and identified people) present narrowed the date to 1899. It’s still just an educated guess though as weather information was not recorded 100% of the time, making the margin of error a bit higher.

1. Man (unidentified) on the Battery. Possibly 1899.
2. Trolley at Meeting and Ladson (vicinity of 35 Meeting Street). Possibly 1899, photographer M.B. Paine
3. Intersection of Wentworth and King Streets, looking west on Wentworth. Israel Hirsch building (275 King St) - now demolished - visible at right. Possibly 1899.
4. Man (unidentified) walking on the Battery after snowfall, possibly 1899.
5. Marion Square from King and Calhoun Streets, photographed by Dr. Franklin Frost Sams. Possibly 1899.
6. Custom House at 200 East Bay after snowfall, photographed by Dr. Franklin Frost Sams. Possibly 1899.
7. “Lizzie in snow.” Elizabeth Gregorie Sams (1870-1941) standing in the yard of the Custom House, with East Bay Street behind her. Photographed by her husband, Dr. Franklin Frost Sams. Possibly 1899.
8. Looking west on South Battery from East Battery. White Point Gardens is on the left. Photographed by Dr. Franklin Frost Sams. Possibly 1912, 1918 or 1922.

EPHEMERA FRIDAY: Each Friday we post a selection or small collection from our Archives. Some items may be on exhibit, some may be too fragile to display and some may be too unusual to fit into our typical Lowcountry exhibit themes. We will occasionally ask for help identifying people or places in photographs that have come to us with little or no information. We hope you enjoy our selection each week – do let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see on EPHEMERA FRIDAY.

“Hebel” Signal Pistol
Maker: Greifelt & Co.
Origin: Suhl, Germany
Date: 1894-95
First developed in 1894, the Hebel (which in German refers to the lever opening mechanism) was used extensively by German forces during World War I. Myriad communication flares including illumination signals, whistling signals and smoke signals could be fired from its large 1.16-inch-diameter barrel. German military engineers also later developed small grenade projectile that could be launched from the piece. Hebel signal pistols were also reissued by the German military in the early stages of World War II.

Weaponry Wednesday: Each Wednesday we post an object (or group of objects) from the Charleston Museum’s diverse weapons collection. Many Weaponry Wednesday items may be on permanent exhibit in our armory or elsewhere in the museum, but some pieces rarely see exhibition, temporary or permanent, but are well worth sharing.  We hope you enjoy our selection each week – do let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see on WEAPONRY WEDNESDAY! Also, we always want to learn more about our collection - if you have some insights on a piece, please feel free to share! #WeaponryWednes

Woman’s gray-green wool riding habit, early 20^th century. The double-breasted jacket is quite fitted; a button and thread loop hook up the side-saddle skirt on the right side. It is labeled: Charles Wm. Davis / Tailor to Royalty / 56 Brook Street W. / Exactly Opposite Claridge’s Hotel / Riding Habits, Tailor Gowns, etc. It was worn by Josephine Dulles Eppes (1855-1920) of Virginia.

Gift of Mrs. John Hatcher in 1975

Riding and the hunt have been popular pastimes for elite society throughout Charleston’s history. Men and women donned special attire to emulate the English fashion setters. Most women, at least in conservative circles, rode side-saddle, necessitating a rather unique skirt or overskirt. Women in the rugged American West dared to ride astride the horse, while Easterners continued side saddle until the 1920s.

Man’s riding suit, early 20^th century. This brown suit with jodhpur pants and matching vest came from the Logan House at 32 Church Street. It was probably worn by the house’s owner, William Turner Logan (1874-1941). Logan, a practicing lawyer in Charleston, was a state representative from 1901-1904, and a Representative in Washington from 1921-1925. He married Louise Gibert Lesesne in 1909.

The jacket is labeled Abercrombie & Fitch Co. / New York. The firm was established by David Abercrombie in 1892 as a supplier of rugged, outdoor gear. Ezra Fitch became a partner in 1900, though tempers flared and Abercrombie resigned in 1907. Fitch continued to expand the store, trying innovative display and sales techniques and adding catalog sales. Around 1913, it became the first store in New York to supply sport clothing to women as well as men.

Gift of Anna Wells Rutledge in 1962

Both garments are on exhibit in Hunt & Habit now through April 21, 2013.

TEXTILE TUESDAYS: Each Tuesday we post a piece from our textile collection.  Some items have been on exhibit, some will eventually be shown in our Historic Textiles Gallery and some may be just too fragile to display. We hope you enjoy our selection each week – do let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see on TEXTILE TUESDAY! #TextileTuesday

These calendars come from both our Trade and Advertising collection as well as our (true) Ephemera collection. All have various donors and have come into the collection at different times - except for the Imperial Fertilizer Company’s calenders. Those were both “found in the collection.” Perhaps they belonged to a past curator?

In order of appearance:
1.    Advertisement for Alva Gage & Co., Charleston Ice House, located on N.E. Corner of Market and Church Streets. At bottom is a miniature, tear-off, monthly calendar for the year 1888.
2.    Calendar, compliments of Imperial Fertilizer Co., Charleston, SC. Small calendar for 1891 in the lower, right corner. City directory for 1891 shows Imperial Fertilizer Company located at Brown’s Wharf.
3.    Calendar, compliments of Imperial Fertilizer Co., Charleston, SC. Small calendar for 1891 in the lower, left corner. City directory for 1891 shows Imperial Fertilizer Company located at Brown’s Wharf.
4.    Calendar for 1901 in four pieces. When placed in a vertical row, a larger picture forms from the image in the center of each piece.
5.    Calender for 1896 in four pieces - with three months apiece on each. Each piece has an elf-like figure dressed in a different colored set of similar clothes.

EPHEMERA FRIDAY: Each Friday we post a selection or small collection from our Archives. Some items may be on exhibit, some may be too fragile to display and some may be too unusual to fit into our typical Lowcountry exhibit themes. We will occasionally ask for help identifying people or places in photographs that have come to us with little or no information. We hope you enjoy our selection each week – do let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see on EPHEMERA FRIDAY.

Absterdam Shell
Maker: John Absterdam
Origin: Philadelphia, PA
Date: 1864

Developed in 1864 by John Absterdam, a New York-born inventor, these 4-inch-diameter exploding shells were near-complete failures for the Union artillery. Thankfully, however, Absterdam shells appeared too late in the Civil War to make a significant impact. Results gathered during the Absterdam’s field tests were deplorable. Out of 239 test fires only 5 were successful; 144 shells tumbled end-over-end in flight, 32 disintegrated inside the cannon barrel and another 58 failed to detonate. Nevertheless, the Federal government purchased over 60,000 pieces for their armories and actually used some of them in the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign from June 1864 to March 1865.

Weaponry Wednesday: Each Wednesday we post an object (or group of objects) from the Charleston Museum’s diverse weapons collection. Many Weaponry Wednesday items may be on permanent exhibit in our armory or elsewhere in the museum, but some pieces rarely see exhibition, temporary or permanent, but are well worth sharing.  We hope you enjoy our selection each week – do let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see on WEAPONRY WEDNESDAY! Also, we always want to learn more about our collection - if you have some insights on a piece, please feel free to share!  #WeaponryWednes