"Garfield and Arthur" Quilt
c. 1880
Medium
Pieced quilt; printed, cotton plain and twill weave fabrics; printed, cotton plain weave handkerchief
Dimensions
215.7 × 218.9 cm (84 7/8 × 86 1/4 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
158431
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Much like the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition Quilt in our collection, this quilt features a promotional handkerchief. Here the handkerchief, which is placed at the center of a four-pointed star, highlights the 1880 presidential ticket of James A. Garfield and Chester B. Arthur, who did indeed win the election (although Garfield was assassinated a mere six months after taking office). The pattern and color of the design appear celebratory, but in the late nineteenth century, campaigns and ele...