Quilt

Object/Artifact

Vermont Historical Society

Name/Title

Quilt

Entry/Object ID

1961.48

Description

Crazy quilt constructed of 36 12-inch blocks. Each block is formed from various, unrepeating geometric shapes and heavily embroidered. Motifs include fans, insects, flowers, flags, and buildings. The name "Clara" is embroidered into the pieces, as well as the initials VT, NH, ME, Mass, NSD, and FLT.

Context

Made for Dr. Clara E. Gary, the first woman in Vermont to receive a medical degree, and the benefactor of the O. M. Fisher home (Gary Home) in Montpelier, Vermont

Acquisition

Accession

1961.48

Source or Donor

Gary Home for the Aged

Acquisition Method

Gift

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Quilt

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Needlework

Nomenclature Class

Art

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Overall

Height

72-1/4 in

Width

71 in

Material

Silk

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Gary, Clara Emerette, MD (1850-1936)

Person or Organization

Gary Home for the Aged

Interpretative Labels

Label

"Crazy" quilts are so-named for the profusion of shapes, textures, and colors that characterize their constructions. They are often made from scraps and aim for an overall artistic impression rather than the precise patterns that are typical of other quilts. This particular quilt was made for Dr. Clara E. Gary by her friends. Gary grew up on a farm in Montpelier and received an MD from the Boston University School of Medicine in 1885. By some accounts, she was the first woman in Vermont to receive a medical degree and practice as a doctor. She left money in her will to create the Gary Home for the Aged in Montpelier, which opened in 1941.