Browse Items (4 total)
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Linen sheet, 1800-1825
Hand-woven linen sheet credited to Elizabeth Tyler Sturgeon. Elizabeth married Thomas Sturgeon in 1816. After he died in 1823, she managed their farm and raised three young sons. Her father, Edward Tyler II, enslaved up to fourteen people. Elizabeth herself enslaved seven people whose labor sustained both the household and the farm. This forced labor enabled the production of textiles like this sheet. It is made from two thirty-eight-inch-wide panels that were hand-sewn together. The edges are unfinished. Eliza and/or enslaved laborers cultivated and processed flax into yarn for weaving. Historical records suggest that an unidentified enslaved woman played a key role in managing the household and supervising other enslaved laborers after Thomas’s death. In 1833, Eliza died from cholera, leaving behind three children under the age of eighteen. -
Woven coverlet, 1800-1825
Hand-woven cotton coverlet credited to Elizabeth Tyler Sturgeon. Elizabeth married Thomas Sturgeon in 1816. After he died in 1823, she managed their farm and raised three young sons. Her father, Edward Tyler II, enslaved up to fourteen people. Elizabeth herself enslaved seven people whose labor sustained both the household and the farm. This forced labor enabled the production of textiles like this coverlet. As cotton wasn’t generally grown in Jefferson County, Kentucky, Eliza likely acquired cotton yarn or raw cotton from a local merchant. She and/or enslaved laborers would have processed raw cotton and spun it into yarn for weaving. Two 36-inch-wide woven panels were sewn together by hand to make a textile large enough for a bed. Historical records suggest that an unidentified enslaved woman played a key role in managing the household and supervising other enslaved laborers after Thomas’s death. In 1833, Eliza died from cholera, leaving behind three children under the age of eighteen. -
Unfinished counterpane, 1800-1825
Unfinished cotton counterpane credited to Elizabeth Tyler Sturgeon. Elizabeth married Thomas Sturgeon in 1816. After he died in 1823, she managed their farm and raised three young sons. Her father, Edward Tyler II, enslaved up to fourteen people. Elizabeth herself enslaved seven people whose labor sustained both the household and the farm. This forced labor enabled the production of textiles like this counterpane. As cotton wasn’t generally grown in Jefferson County, Kentucky, Eliza likely acquired already-made cotton fabric, cotton yarn, or raw unspun cotton from a local merchant. Eliza drew a floral design onto the cloth using a pencil, and she attached a very coarse, loosely woven fiber onto the back. She then hand-stitched around the penciled design. This work was never finished as the stems would have been stuffed with yarn to give them dimension, and all the flowers would have been stuffed with cotton or wool batting in a style known as trapunto. Either she or someone else cut a rectangular piece out of the unfinished work. Historical records suggest that an unidentified enslaved woman played a key role in managing the household and supervising other enslaved laborers after Thomas’s death. In 1833, Eliza died from cholera, leaving behind three children under the age of eighteen. -
Pillowcase with drawn work edges, 1800-1825
Cotton pillowcase credited to Elizabeth Tyler Sturgeon. Elizabeth married Thomas Sturgeon in 1816. After he died in 1823, she managed their farm and raised three young sons. Her father, Edward Tyler II, enslaved up to fourteen people. Elizabeth herself enslaved seven people whose labor sustained both the household and the farm. This forced labor enabled the production of textiles like this pillowcase. As cotton wasn’t generally grown in Jefferson County, Kentucky, Elizabeth likely acquired already-made cotton fabric, cotton yarn, or raw unspun cotton from a local merchant. Drawn thread work is a form of counted-thread embroidery in which threads are removed from the warp or weft to create a decorative design.