Date Tue, 23 May 2000 230353 EDT

From StanfieldA@aol.com

Museums most often use "acquisition" as a noun--referring to the object

itself. You will often see exhibitions of "Recent Acquisitions."

We use "accession" as a verb referring to the act of taking in the object.

So, as someone else already stated, "deaccession" is correct when referring

to releasing the object. By the way, it is proper museum procedure to have

all funds from deaccessioned objects go back into the collections fund (for

future acquisitions and care of collections). It is unacceptable for funds to

go to any other part of the budget (such as operations, programs, etc.).

Alyson B. Stanfield

Director of Education

Wichita Art Museum, Kansas

------------------------------

Date Wed, 24 May 2000 083251 +0200

From Ady Hirsch <adamroni@netvision.net.il>

Hi, everyone

Here in Israel we have no textile museums, hence no quilt problem. However,

archaeology we have plenty of. Excavations (official ones carried by the

Antiquities Authority and various univrsities) come up with findin enormous

quantities. While the "star" finds are prominently places in museums such

as the National museum in Jerusalem, the remainder (mainly pottery finds -

whole jars, pots etc.) are doomed to lie forgotten in some storage

basement (naturally, having first been recorded for research purposes).

I've always been of the (minority) opinion that having served their

(scientific) purpose, these finds (and again, I stress, only the ordinary,

plain vessels found by the hundreds in any dig) should be auctioned off

to the highest bidder, and thus help replenish museums' ever dwindling

funds. I think the same holds true for textile museums - even though it

sounds a little heartless, I see no harm in selling quilts of no particular

distinction. My only caveat is, this practice should be made crystal clear

to the donors, to prevent unpleasant surprises in future.

Ady

BTW, maybe I shouldn't be saying this, but I've been to Quilt Expo 2000 in

Strasbourg, and IMHO the only quilts worth looking at were the antique ones

-the Amish quilts from the Esprit collection, Barbara Horvath's fabulous

collection and some gems in the vendors' malls. Made me wonder what will

people think of all the modern pieced-in-a-day quilted-in-three-days quilts

a hundred years from now...

------------------------------

Date Tue, 23 May 2000 221327 -1000

From "Laurie Woodard" <lwoodard@hawaii.edu>

Toni--It's my understanding that the 1930s mark the end of the Redwork

craze, having been replaced by polychrome embroidery. Brackman and others

mention that new dye technologies developed in the mid-1920s, broadened the

range of colorfast cotton dyes beyond Turkey red and indigo blue. There are

exceptions, but as the new pastels of the 1920s and '30s become the rage,

redwork becomes a thing of the past. The dates usually given as marking the

heyday for redwork are c. 1880-1920.

--

Laurie Woodard

Researcher

Hawaiian Quilt Research Project

http//openstudio.hawaii.edu/hqrp/default.html

> So far my research is indicating that most Redwork Quilts were

> quilted in the 1930's, but perhaps this one was earlier.

------------------------------

Date Wed, 24 May 2000 065939 EDT

From QuiltFixer@aol.com

In a message dated 5/24/00 11406 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

lwoodard@hawaii.edu writes

<<

Toni--It's my understanding that the 1930s mark the end of the Redwork

craze, having been replaced by polychrome embroidery. Brackman and others

mention that new dye technologies developed in the mid-1920s, broadened the

range of colorfast cotton dyes beyond Turkey red and indigo blue. There are

exceptions, but as the new pastels of the 1920s and '30s become the rage,

redwork becomes a thing of the past. The dates usually given as marking the

heyday for redwork are c. 1880-1920. >>

While all the above agrees with my research, many Redwork spreads or

coverlets were brought to the surface in the 30s and quilted and used.

Perhaps because of the Depression and the need to "use up and make do." My

interest in this quilt is to determine, if possible, if this was the case

with this quilt. If I could determine the date of the backing material with

the stamp, it would help in my research. To restate, the question of age is

not with the top, that has the date 1913, but rather is the stamp on the back

in line with that date, or much later? I'll keep looking for the answer and

if I find it, I will share with the list. Thanks for your reply.

Toni Baumgard

The Redwork Lady

redworkldy@aol

www.redworklady.com

------------------------------

Date Wed, 24 May 2000 065622 -0700

From "mfm" <treetop@portland.quik.com>

I too have heard the term "de-accession" and know first hand that =

museums do this. Our local historical society museum had a sale ~ I was =

able to purchase a sweet little side chair and a set of 12 oversized =

damask napkins. There was lots of stuff at this sale ~ nice furniture, =

wacky object d'art, and textiles. At that time, I figured the museum =

didn't have storage for all this "extra." They did raise $$$$ ~ for =

equipment? for a climate control system? for the purchase of an item =

that would round out their collection? for another year of rent? =20

Did any of you see the TV program last night "live from Egypt" and the =

opening of a tomb. I could only stand a total on about 10 min. because =

after a few minutes I felt like I was following grave poacher/robbers. =

Speaking to all you musuem folks on this list. Is it good archeology to =

have 8+ people running around a what~6,000 yr tomb~with bright lights & =

cables? Was our Dr.TourGuide for real? When the lid was off the =

sarcophagus this guy immediately digs into the sand to pick up the small =

"guarding" scluptures that have not been disturded for milleninum. I =

was appalled ~ no photographs are taken to document placement, no =

measurments. During another shot ~ they are at the mummys ~ someone =

actually lifts up a small mummy and whisks it away in his arms. I am =

beside myself with how unprofessional this is looking ~ no gloves, no =

documentation, just a lot of plundering. I couldn't watch any more. =

The event showed me bad science. =20

molly in oregon

------------------------------

Date Wed, 24 May 2000 071512 -0700

From "mfm" <treetop@portland.quik.com>

Dear All,

I'm offering a link to Rabbit Goody's textile history event that will =

happen in Cooperstown, NY on July 7th and 8th, 2000. It will prove to =

be a wonderful weekend of learning, chatting, seeing and doing. And ALL =

ABOUT TEXTILES. =20

http//www.rabbitgoody.com/Textile%20History%20Forum.htm

so if your in the neighborhood ~=20

see you there,

molly=20

------------------------------

Date Wed, 24 May 2000 091620 -0500 (Central Daylight Time)

From Mary Persyn <Mary.Persyn@valpo.edu>

In libraries we used to stamp accession numbers in books

and record the numbers(some libraries probably still do

so). Anyway, when we withdrew a book, we were reversing the

process so we were de-accessioning the item. The term has

stayed around even if accession numbers haven't.

At my current library we tend to talk about withdrawing

items rather than deaccessioning them.

A little piece of library lore that probably also applies

to museums since they use accession numbers.

Mary (in her librarian's hat)

-----------------------------------------

Mary Persyn (219) 465-7830

Email Mary.Persyn@valpo.edu

Law Librarian

School of Law

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, IN 46383

FAX (219) 465-7917

------------------------------

Date Wed, 24 May 2000 141506 -0400

From Newbie Richardson <pastcrafts@erols.com>

Hi Guys,

Before we embark on whether deaccessioning a museum collection is good

or bad, remember the context and climate in which so many of our museums

were set up. Many of them were started as a result of the Colonial

Revival movement and "antiquarians" back in the last quarter of the 19th

c. There was a real dearth of information for curators to go by - which

has since been alleviated. But they were accepting many items that they

THOUGHT would be representative.

When a museum reasses its mission and the items that it has in

inventory - with the help and guidance of its board of directors - it is

usually a good thing. However, no institution can dispose of an item

unless the terms of the donation allows for it to be sold/traded.

I was just involved in a deed of gift to a major museum. The family

wanted a guarrantee that if the museum no longer wanted the items then

they would go back to the family. Well, no museum is the business of

tracking down scattered heirs 75 to 150 years from now...! So we

compromised and agreed that if they should want to to adeccession the

donation then the museum would be responsible for finding another,

suitable, museum to take the gift.

Also remember, it frequently makes sense to sell some stuff if the

proceeds will benefit the museum or/and the items are now so valuable

that the institution can no longer afford the insurance or to properly

care for it. Lets face it, textiles are VERY high maintenance!

Cheers,

Newbie

------------------------------

Date Wed, 24 May 2000 151410 EDT

From KareQuilt@aol.com

Someone wrote and asked me

<>

I emailed her about the Cory/McKelvey book about Signature Quilts. does

anyone know of a website dedicaated to Signature quilts?

Karen Alexander

Northern VA

--------------------------------

Date Wed, 24 May 2000 231720 -0400

From "Judy Grow" <Judygrow@blast.net>

>IMHO the only quilts worth looking at were the antique ones

>-the Amish quilts from the Esprit collection, Barbara Horvath's fabulous

>collection and some gems in the vendors' malls. Made me wonder what will

>people think of all the modern pieced-in-a-day quilted-in-three-days quilts

>a hundred years from now...

Ady,

I agree with you totally. After going to 3 shows this year that draw

nationally, I wonder the same thing. So many of the quilts made today are

all "flash and dazzle" -- lots of bright colors, lots of surface thread,

but no design sensibility. There is nowhere for your eye to go, to travel.

It either stops dead in the center of the quilt, or is lead off in all

directions. In many, when you get up close and look, the craftsmanship is

really shoddy and perhaps they won't even last for 100 more years. I am so

tired of looking at fuchsia and turquoise! and the same clones of the same

patterns.

But now I'm going to contradict myself -- weren't the late 19th century

quilters tired of looking at brown? I guess the Pa quilters were -- so many

of theirs are pink, green and yellow. Didn't they get tired of seeing the

same color scheme everywhere too? Didn't they think that there was one too

many "Rolling Stone" quilt?

On the other hand, I've been buying those really expensive paperback books

of quilts from Japan. And I think that they will be the quilters whose work

is revered in 100 years. Time means nothing to them -- they seem to revel

in spending years on each masterpiece, and it shows. The craftsmanship is

nonpareil! Designs seem to spin off of our own 19th century classics. I

can't get enough of them!

Judy in Ringoes, NJ

judygrow@blast.net

------------------------------

Date Thu, 25 May 2000 063822 EDT

From CToczek@aol.com

"BTW, maybe I shouldn't be saying this, but I've been to Quilt Expo 2000 in

Strasbourg, and IMHO the only quilts worth looking at were the antique ones

-the Amish quilts from the Esprit collection, Barbara Horvath's fabulous

collection and some gems in the vendors' malls. Made me wonder what will

people think of all the modern pieced-in-a-day quilted-in-three-days quilts

a hundred years from now...Ady"

Dear Ady and QHL,

I've wondered the same thing, especially since, although I've handquilted a

couple of large quilts over a year, I've also made pieced-in-a-day,

quilted-in-three-days items, too. I figure that the quilts like those on the

cover of Quilters' Newsletter Mag. each month will be regarded as the

"Baltimore Albums" or "Rose Kretsingers" of our era, while our quickies will

be considered, perhaps, the "utilities" of the time. Quickies or not, I

feel sure the sheer volume of quiltmaking in the 90's and 00's will speak for

something in the history books. And while I'm on the subject,

Think of all the categories future historians will have to sort,

art quilts

folk art quilts, i.e. Patek, Gervais, Pandolph and others

time span quilts, hopefully labelled as such (to borrow a phrase from Becky

Herdle)

kit quilts, examples showing up across the country (i.e. McCall's Quilting

has offered

the Quilt for a Cure kits....remember the blue and white one last year?)

challenge quilts, i.e. Hoffman and others

block of the month quilts offered by designers and shops, (you know, where

you pay

$XXX for one quilt pattern, better if you at least get the fabric! what

a great

marketing ploy! <G>)

reproduction quilts, hopefully labelled as such (hey this should have been

first here!)

and I won't even begin with the many fabric crazes like watercolor and batik,

etc...

Hmmmmmm, let me go ponder on this some more...

Carla

West Point

------------------------------

Date Thu, 25 May 2000 080029 -0400 (EDT)

From Lydia Hamessley <lhamessl@hamilton.edu>

Hello all,

I'm a new subscriber to the list, and I'm enjoying all the discussion and

learning a lot!

I'm traveling to Williamsburg, VA & Annapolis, MD this weekend, and wonder

if anyone has any suggestions for where I might see any early quilts.

There is one exhibit I know of in Williamsburg at a Folk Art Museum. But

other than that, I'm just hoping to see quilts within the many historic

homes we'll visit. So if anyone has any other tips for places to see

quilts, I'd appreciate it!

Thanks so much,

Lydia Hamessley

Lydia Hamessley, Associate Professor

Music Department

Hamilton College

Clinton, NY 13323

office (315) 859-4354

lhamessl@itsmail1.hamilton.edu

------------------------------

Date Thu, 25 May 2000 220659 -0500

From "Karen S. Bush" <Birdsong@worldnet.att.net>

future quilts (pardon the pun)...

I've always wondered, in my years of quilting and my few on quilt

Making...(((why))) are the people hassled (I was going to say baraged, but,

didn't know how to spell it)...with the 'fads' of the week to invest a small

Fortune on fabrics, classes, books...

I don't know how many times I've gone to the quilt shop and have seen

models on the walls for the new classes, and people lining up for ONLY that

fabric that's in the model. ?????

I know a lot of people need help with color and putting it together,

but,...who made the "Rules" of color? I like to just 'wing' it. Test it out

with my trusty little digital, put it up on my monitor and then make changes

or whatever. If I like it, it's a keeper. But,

There are SO many saying 'this is the right way/no, this is wrong' kind

of thing, I think it's intimadated and stunted the creative growth of a lot

of quiltmakers out there.

Am I stepping on toes?? I DON'T mean to! There are GREAT classes out

there, and Thankfully so. 25 years ago, you couldn't even find Muslin much

less all these gorgeous fabrics out there. But, what' s the Hurry on getting

the quilt made and on the bed or ...in the show..??

I used to get quilts in to be hand quilted QUICK for a show for quilts

that weren't 'show' quality to begin with and they depended on the Quilting

to pull it through, flatten it out, give it a spark....ugh.

It's supposed to be a relaxing, creative out-let for the artist in All

of us. Isn't it? "self expression" seems to have gone down the tubes in some

cases. It's whatever is the 'flavor' of the month now.

Maybe a support group for the intimidated should be a class. ??? a Short

class...One sentence... "Do your Own Thing, there ARE no rules"...ummm

wonder if that would fly...??

Sorry, I rambled and hope I didn't offend anyone, it's just been a

mystery to me for a long time. / kb

http//members.ebay.com/aboutme/karenbush

------------------------------

Date Thu, 25 May 2000 235538 EDT

From EGinebaugh@aol.com

Hi Karen & all,

You said exactly what I teach in my beginning quilting classes

<One sentence... "Do your Own Thing, there ARE no rules".>

I emphasize this many many times in my class. When I hand out the supplies

list, I give quantities, and light, medium, or dark values of fabrics. We've

had all sorts of combinations of colors, and they all look beautiful. We

learn how to "fudge" minor errors, and I also reemphasize how beautiful the

old, imperfect, points-don't-match-and-colors-everywhere quilts are.

Creativity and individuality are points I stress subliminally throughout. I

have never seen an ugly quilt yet, old or new! I love them all.

I really hope that this "different is good" approach will catch on in other

areas of the world, too.

Liz G

------------------------------

Date Fri, 26 May 2000 001229 -0400

From "Judy Grow" <Judygrow@blast.net>

A Collection of Indian Textiles

Was it only 2 days ago that this show at the Johnson Museum of Art at

Cornell University was mentioned? I did an Internet search immediately

after I read the note on the list, and e-mailed a request for the catalog.

It came today with a nice note from Catherine Davidson, Publications

Coordinator. Her e-mail is cmd15@cornell.edu.

I am sure that if you also drop her a note you too will get this lovely 14

page, 8 1/2 x 11, color catalog.

How I wish I could get to Ithaca to see the show. It's where all our

printed textiles started.

Judy in Ringoes, NJ

judygrow@blast.net

------------------------------

Date Fri, 26 May 2000 005549 EDT

From EllynLK@aol.

In a message dated 5/25/2000 65542 PM Pacific Daylight Time, Judy writes in

response to Ady

<< After going to 3 shows this year that draw nationally, I wonder the same

thing. So many of the quilts made today are all "flash and dazzle" -- lots

of bright colors, lots of surface thread, but no design sensibility. There

is nowhere for your eye to go, to travel. It either stops dead in the center

of the quilt, or is lead off in all directions. In many, when you get up

close and look, the craftsmanship is really shoddy and perhaps they won't

even last for 100 more years. I am so

tired of looking at fuchsia and turquoise! and the same clones of the same

patterns. >>

I went to a quilt show, briefly looked over the new, modern things I call

"Ugly Quilts With A Message" and where did I end up? In front of an 1890's

Churn Dash with lots of cadet blue and turkey red. I spent more time on that

one quilt than the rest of the modern ones!

I recently checked a book out of the library, recently done and enjoyed

looking at the pics... but I just passed over the photos that were more like

paintings than quilts. I can get lost in a Tumbling Blocks. I love optical

illusions. I love the patterns you suddenly find in a pattern that you

missed before. I love the graphics of old fabrics. But a quilt that's

really a painting or collage of sorts, with slogans or political statements

laid out-- well, I can certainly appreciate the work. I don't know that I

would ever care to own one.

But I'd buy that Churn Dash in a minute if I could....

Lauri Klobas

Pacific Palisades, California

------------------------------

Date Fri, 26 May 2000 131016 -0500

From "Lisa Erlandson" <quilter@cooke.net>

Hi all,

I have been off of QHL for over a year, but am back. I have a question and

would like as many opinions as possible.

I am putting together a program on quilt blocks & their history - why they

were named such, etc.

I have many, many blocks, but there are some I don't have a sample of.

I was thinking that as a visual aid, a mock-up of the block - enlarged,

maybe fabric on posterboard or something like that might be more visible to

the audience than just a 12 inch block would be.

What are your feelings on that. If you were in the audience for this

program, would you be offended if it "wasn't real"? or would you be glad

you could actually see what was being discussed?

Just shoot me an email at quilter@cooke.net and let me know. I will be more

than happy to report the results to the list.

Thanks,

Lisa

------------------------------

Date Fri, 26 May 2000 200551 EDT

From JBQUILTOK@aol.com

> I've always wondered, in my years of quilting and my few on quilt

>Making...(((why))) are the people hassled (I was going to say baraged, but,

>didn't know how to spell it)...with the 'fads' of the week to invest a small

>Fortune on fabrics, classes, books...

>But, what' s the Hurry on getting the quilt made and on the bed or ...in the

show..??

I think some of the pressure comes from 'the show'. Our guild of about 500

members tries to put on a fantastic show every two years. It is rapidly

degenerating into a mass of minis. There are some members out to collect

fame & ribbons by putting together the Wow! quilts. There are a lot of others

who think if they can make the style that won the last Paducah or Houston

show, they'll walk away with our show. We're so pressured for time & hungry

for accomplishments that the pleasure of the process tends to get lost. Why

use templates if you can rotory cut? Or better yet, paper piece? The

guild issues a President's challenge almost every year & they've gone from a

36" square project to bed sized. We do a block of the month that turned into

a quilt of the month this year.

Maybe we should organize a 'historic methods' show somewhere & only allow

completely hand made quilt to be entered as an encouragement to quilters to

s....l......o......w.......d......o......w.......n!

As for buying every new fabric, book & gadget in the store, I think the

quilt shop is one of the few places a working mother/wife can go & what ever

she spends her money on is for herself. No temptation to do without what she

wants because she thinks someone else in the family needs something more than

she does.

Janet

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