Tablecloth

Description

This tablecloth was designed and woven by James Cunningham of New Hartford, New York around 1841. The tablecloth is Jacquard woven, with a white cotton warp and red wool weft. In the center of the cloth is a wreath of flowers, surrounded by flowers, leaves, birds, and star motifs. Framing the center design is a border of eagles with shields. In each corner is a depiction of George Washington, on horseback, with his sword drawn and raised. The date “1841” is above him, and to the right are the words “United We Stand Divided We Fall.” Under the figure is the name “Washington,” and below, in a box, is the weaver’s identification: “J. Cunningham / Weaver. N. Hartford / Oneida C2 N. York.” The design is mirrored both horizontally and vertically. This tablecloth comes from Helen D. Young’s collection of handwoven textiles made in the northeastern United States before 1900. Young (1894-1983) was a prominent weaver, teacher, author, and collector of coverlets. Her collection, now at Winterthur (2017.0019.051.001 - .038), contains a diverse variety of weave structures, reflecting Young’s interest in structure and regional variation, as well as her understanding of textiles as an art form. This object is one of a large group transferred to Winterthur from the American Textile History Museum when it closed in 2017. The Winterthur Library also received a significant amount of material from ATHM, including the Laura M. Allen weaving draft collection, which was previously acquired by Marguerite Porter Davison and then Helen D. Young.