Coverlet 1840 - 1845

This Coverlet was woven by Hugh Gilchrist in the nineteenth century. It provides an important visual record of American textile production during the antebellum years. The coverlet’s intricate designs are achieved with a 'double-cloth' technique using an industrial loom. We can appreciate the labor and time that went into such a design, as well as the skill required. Motifs include stylized flower blossoms and geometric shapes within an ordered grid. These designs, mass-produced for sale, also suggest the influence of broader social and economic forces at work in the young nation. Textiles made in the United States competed with those made in Europe. Hugh Gilchrist and other weavers sought to attract customers through familiar patterns and durable goods. Research into census records, account books, and other historical documents would shed more light on the production of this object, its original purchasers, and its significance for American social history.