Quilt - Top Star and Flag Design c. 1941

Fred Hassebrock, born in 1903, crafted this quilt featuring a star and flag design. Hassebrock's life spanned much of the 20th century, a period marked by significant social and political change in the United States. Quilts often transcend their function as mere textiles, becoming potent expressions of identity and community. In Hassebrock's hands, the American flag is transformed into a deeply personal statement. But what does the flag represent to him? Is it a symbol of belonging, of shared ideals? Or perhaps it serves as a reminder of a nation’s unfulfilled promises? The quilt invites us to reflect on the complex relationship between individual experience and national identity, and asks us to consider whose stories are woven into the fabric of American history.