What is a Signature Quilt?

A SunBonnet Sue sketch seen in an autograph album on eBay in January 2010.

Attice Stamps was born in Arkansas in 1908.  In 1920

she was living with her parents and siblings in 

Royal Township, White Co., Arkansas. Quilt from the collection of Karen B. Alexander.

We've been having an interesting discussion on the AQSG quilt history discussion list this past week.  Here is my contribution to the discussion.

At the end of my post I will try to give a synopsis of the discussion in outline form.

Quilt from the collection of Karen B. Alexander.

I posted the following to the AQSG discussion List:

Names and labels are a real challenge when a new field of study is being"codified".  AQSG members on this list --as well as the QHL list – were asked for their input back in 2008 about this terminology. Those of us who then wound up serving on the Quilt Index Signature Quilt Pilot Project really wrestled with this question. In a nutshell, after a lot of input from others and discussion amongst ourselves, we decided :

“Signature quilts -- those that carry multiple signatures or names inked, stamped, embroidered and otherwise inscribed...”

One block from a Signature summer spread in the collection of Karen B. Alexander.

As a number of museums have already entered their quilts (including Signature quilts) into the Quilt Index, the QI has begun to garner a reputation as a pace-setter in this field. I hope all of you will take time to read the essay for IMHO, as quilt historians, quilt collectors and those interested in the field of quilt history, I consider you the “vanguard educators and pace-setters” as to how the public will view and interpret signature quilts.

Signature summer spread in the collection of Karen B. Alexander.

Here are excerpts from the Essay we wrote for the Quilt Index website. You can read the full essay by clicking here or by copying and pasting this link into a new search window:  http://www.quiltindex.org/sqpessay.php

This essay lays out some of the guidelines the SQPP set for entering “signature quilts” into the Quilt Index.

EXCERPTS FROM THE QUILT INDEX: 

About Signature quilts

Signature quilts -- those that carry multiple signatures or names inked, stamped, embroidered and otherwise inscribed -- are important primary historical documents that are of great interest and value for research in many disciplinary areas. In some cases, Signature quilts are the only material evidence that documents the names of individuals who have a relationship to each other....>>

Defining the elements of a Signature quilt

There are two very broad categories when one thinks about "signatures" on quilts:

(A) mere names on quilts and (B) actual signatures on quilts.

The Signature Quilt Project strives to document quilts in the latter category where individuals actually provide their own signatures or at least knowingly participated in the quilt. In addition, for this project, a Signature quilt is thus defined as one that carries one or more of the following:

--The signature of the maker,

--The name of person for whom it was made,

--Signatures all done in one good cursive hand and not actually signed by

participants but with participants' knowledge,

--Signatures all done in more than one good cursive hand but not actually

signed by participants,

--Signatures done in more than one good cursive hands with some names

actually signed by participants, and

--Friendship quilts of one kind or another - all "real" signatures by

participants.

In addition, the Signature Quilt Project strives to gather data on those quilts, often made as fundraisers, where some individuals signed a block; some gathered the names and donations but the signatures on a block are all stitched in one cursive hand; and some folks didn't even know their name was on the quilt because someone else paid to have another's name on the quilt without their knowledge.

One category of quilts that hold mere names and are not considered part of the Signature Quilt Project are those with multiple names with no knowing participation by those whose names are featured on the quilt (for example: baseball quilt done by a Chicago fan using photos from the newspaper with the player's name stitched underneath his image that was worked in redwork but with players having no knowledge of the quilt or the commercial patterns such as the Presidents series with their names underneath on each block),....<>

SYNOPSIS OF THE DISCUSSION

INSCRIBED QULTS - a quilt with writing on it – of any kind, name/s or sayings or otherwise.

A quilt memorializing comic book characters from the 1940s as seen on eBay. Most blocks bear the name of the character. This is an inscribed quilt but not a signature quilt.

SIGNATURE QUILTS -  those that carry multiple signatures or names inked, stamped, embroidered and otherwise inscribed, broken into two very broad categories when one thinks about "signatures" on quilts:

            (A) mere names on quilts - multiple names with no knowing participation by                                     those whose names are featured on the quilt (as seen above with the comic book characters). Another EXAMPLE: baseball quilt done by a Chicago fan using photos from the newspaper with the player's  name stitched underneath his image that was worked in redwork but with players having no knowledge of the quilt or the commercial patterns                         such as the Presidents series with their names underneath on each block

            (B) actual signatures on quilts - quilts where individuals actually provide their own signatures or at least knowingly participated in the quilt. 

The list of names on this quilt can bee seen on the Quilt Index here.

In addition, for this project, a Signature quilt is thus defined as one that carries one or more of the following:

(1) The signature of the maker,

(2) The name of person for whom it was made,

(3) Signatures all done in one good cursive hand and not actually signed by participants but with participants' knowledge,

(4) Signatures all done in more than one good cursive hand but not actually signed by participants,

(5) Signatures done in more than one good cursive hands with some names actually signed by participants, and

(6) Friendship quilts of one kind or another - all "real" signatures by participants.

            (C) sub-categories of Signature quilts

1) Album quilts

2) Presentation quilts

3) Friendship quilts

4) Remembrance quilts

5) Memorial quilts

6) Reunion quilts

7) Fund Raising quilts with Signatures on the quilt

What additional categories would you add to this list?

Are quilts we make for out-doing quilt guild presidents Friendship Quilts or Presentation Quilts?  Chime in on the discussion with your take on this type of quilt.

https://quiltindex.org//view/?type=fullrec&kid=2-33-28

The list of signatures on this quilt can be seen by clicking here.

Keep those needles flying....as well as those documentation pencils!

Karen Alexander