Name/Title
Shenandoah Valley Botanical AlbumEntry/Object ID
2006.001.001Description
25 blocks of botanical examples of the Shenandoah Valley. The center block features two rainbows - one has a moon and stars while the other has a sunburst. Every block is different. There is quilted text near the center as well as ink text in black to identify each flower.Context
The quilt was made by Esther Matthews in 1858 when she was 82 years old. The quilt was passed down through the Martz family until it was donated to the museum in 2006.
Esther Matthews, a widow, made several quilt tops like this one to sell ca. 1850-1860. Similar quilting and script on the known quilts indicate someone else completed her tops and wrote the lovely script in each block.
Esther had two daughters. Each daughters' descendants inherited a quilt. Esther was a strong Methodist and a strong patriot. On both known quilts she used rainbows, a religious symbol of hope and promise, and the "Tree of Liberty." Her cotton fabrics were mostly American period prints. Fabrics used on this quilt have been identified in other Valley-made quilts, indicating she may have purchased some cloth locally.
Esther’s quilts are unique because she included the vernacular botanical names of her motifs on her blocks. The name of her favorite grandson "A.B. Martz" and the date "1859" are quilted in the block next to the center rainbow. He died in 1864 as a Confederate soldier from wounds suffered at the Battle of the Wilderness on May 5th, 1863. The quilt was preserved and inherited by four generations of Ester’s family prior to being donated to the museum.Collection
Permanent CollectionAcquisition
Accession
2006.001Source or Donor
Frances Lazenby EakinMade/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Esther MatthewsRole
MakerDate made
1858Place
* Untyped Place
Rockingham County, VirginiaInscription/Signature/Marks
Location
Every blockTranscription
Every block in ink is the name of the botanical specimanMaterial/Technique
InkLocation
Center blockTranscription
"A.B. Martz 1859"Material/Technique
EmbroideredDimensions
Dimension Description
OVerall Quilt DimensionsWidth
96-1/2 inLength
98 inCondition
Overall Condition
ExcellentNotes
Some large water stains on back but they do not bleed through to front.
