WASHINGTON, D.C. – Where do you get your inspiration? Whether it’s for a craft project, a poem, or what color to paint your walls, you likely use your connections to the world around you. Women in the 19^th century did the same, although they did not have access to the same opportunities available today. Unable to vote, they were still affected by political decisions; restricted in their professional options, they still participated in the economy and paid attention to the latest trends. The new DAR Museum exhibit, “A Piece of Her Mind: Culture and Technology in American Quilts,” on display March 1 through December 31 2019, explores the connections between 19^th century women and the surrounding culture as seen through their quiltmaking.

The exhibit presents over a dozen quilts side-by-side with the objects that inspired their makers. “It’s not just the quilts by themselves,” says Museum Director and Chief Curator Heidi Campbell-Shoaf. “We have objects that the women may have come in contact with as they were making or planning the quilt. So you see the inspiration and the quilt together, and it adds a depth of understanding of the time period.”

One quilt contains pieces of actual campaign ribbons for Henry Clay, a presidential candidate for the 1844 election. Even though women could not vote in 1844, Clay’s campaign appealed to women as he recognized their potential to influence male family members. (If you’re racking your brain to remember who won, it was his opponent, James Polk.) Another quilt exhibits some of the earliest machine stitching, as it was made in the 1850s when the sewing machine first appeared on the consumer market. Its maker, Mary Sneed, was eager to embrace new technology and might have wanted to upgrade to the c.1870 Wheeler & Wilson sewing machine also on exhibit.

“We call the exhibit A Piece of Her Mind because we’re looking at what’s going on in the minds of these women. We can’t read their minds but we can read their quilts,” says Alden O’Brien, Curator of Costume and Textiles. “The designs they were choosing reflect their interest and involvement in current events and popular culture. I hope that people will think of Victorian women as more interesting and intelligent than we sometimes give them credit for.”

DAR Museum admission is always free. It is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (closed on Federal holidays). Groups may request a guided tour at [email protected] for a small per-person fee.

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About the DAR Museum
The DAR Museum tells the story of the American home from the 1600s through the early 1900s through objects, exhibits, and programming. The DAR Museum, accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, supports the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution’s goals of historic preservation and education through collecting, preserving, and interpreting American decorative arts and material culture. Learn more at www.dar.org/museum