Heirloom Coverlets exhibit to open Monday at museum

More than 30 historic heirloom coverlets will be on display at the Putnam County Museum in an exhibit that opens Monday, Oct. 16.

The Heirloom Coverlets exhibit -- characterized as “visually stunning” by Museum Executive Director Lisa Harris Mock -- will continue through Jan. 19. Hours at the museum, located at 1105 N. Jackson St., Greencastle, are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Coverlets originated in Europe with the west coast of Scotland particularly noteworthy but the early woven varieties did not have the intricate patterns such as those produced in the United States in the mid 19th century. The invention of the Jacquard loom attachment, run by a series of punch cards, created the complex and unique designs still cherished today.

Jacquard coverlet work was known for its flowery patterns with curves and swoops, Mock said. A video presentation will accompany the exhibit, showing how the Jacquard machine worked. Fiber tools, flax and wool also will be on display, while demonstrators will show weaving techniques.

“Visually, this is going to be stunning,” Mock assured. “Very stunning.”

In general, coverlets -- created as woven textiles as opposed to quilts that combine cut-to-shape pieces that are woven together -- are 92 inches long and 72 inches wide.

The Putnam County Museum exhibit will include 10 coverlets from the private collection of John and Janet Simmermaker of Winamac, well-known collectors with more than 700 coverlets in their arsenal.

The display will also feature five Muir coverlets, created by John Muir, who operated a weavery on the north side of the courthouse square in Greencastle in the 1840s and 1850s, and his three brothers who also wove in the area, including at Yountsville in Montgomery County.

Muir continued creating his signature coverlets with a lily design and a thistle border pattern along the bottom and sides until his death, advertising woven coverlets and flat carpets in several Putnam County newspapers of the time.

“Some of Muir’s ads say how many spun goods to bring to him for $5 and the amount of wool needed to get a warm coverlet,” Mock said, describing the resulting coverlets as “heavy, warm, very insulating. They slept under them.”

The museum director described the Muir coverlets as “fancy ones.” She added, “It was gorgeous work. These guys, that’s all they did.”

When the Civil War started, it was considered a patriotic thing for wool to be sold to the government for uniforms, and “when the Industrial Revolution came along,” Mock explained, “suddenly it was the modern thing in 1864 to have a blanket woven on a weaving machine” instead of a coverlet.

“There was a story going around,” Mock continued, “that Mary Todd Lincoln took all the old coverlets that were in use at the White House and got rid of them. The new modern thing was blankets.”

Private showings of the exhibit can be arranged by calling the museum at 653-8419, Mock said, noting that the Weavers Guild of Central Indiana has already arranged a private visit. There is also a possibility of some special hours been put in place for the exhibit.

Putnam County resident Lora Scott is providing a catalog with photos and a narrative on the different coverlets and facts about the weavers themselves.

Meanwhile, the public is invited to bring coverlets and coverlet fragments to the museum Sunday, Nov. 12 from 2:30-5 p.m. for a Coverlet Show and Tell. Local fiber artist and retired curator Jennifer Johnson will be available to answer questions about different weaving methods used in coverlet construction, fibers and dyes used and potential resources available to help identify weavers and their whereabouts.

In order to accommodate as many people as possible, it is asked that persons call the museum if they have more than two coverlets or pieces to be seen. Be prepared to share any history you may know concerning the coverlet in your care. Should demand exceed the time available a secondary date will be announced, Mock said. The show-and-tell event coincides with the Heirloom Coverlets exhibit, on display through Jan. 19.

There is still time to join the museum, Mock said, with memberships at $50 and $25 levels.