Textile
1880
Medium
printed, dyed & painted textiles
Classification
printed, dyed & painted textiles
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
American Textile History Museum Collection, gift of Katharine Kreiser and Arthur Larson
Accession Number
2016-35-77
About this artwork
Printed patchwork fragment has the image of President James A. Garfield and alternating shield flags patterned with either stars and stripes or an anchor with stars. Remaining quadrants have a printed patchwork design and are divided into eight equal triangles filled with four different patterns. This particular image of Garfield in profile wearing a white shirt and dark jacket and tie is based on a photograph from the Pach Brothers photography studio of New York and was widely circulated around...
Art Historical Context
This vibrant textile fragment from 1880 captures the fervor surrounding James A. Garfield's presidential campaign. Centered is a profile portrait of Garfield, dressed in a white shirt, dark jacket, and tie, derived from a widely circulated photograph by New York’s Pach Brothers studio. Surrounding the image are alternating shield-shaped flags—one patterned with stars and stripes, the other featuring an anchor amid stars—evoking patriotic pride. The remaining quadrants form a printed patchwork design, cleverly divided into eight equal triangles filled with four distinct patterns, blending folk ...