Crazy quilt

United States (Wisconsin)

c. 1882

Silk, velvet, printed silk ribbons, silk and cotton thread

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A large, rectangular quilt made of many small, irregularly shaped fabric patches sewn together. The patches vary in color, pattern, and texture, creating a complex, visually dense surface. A dark border surrounds the main quilted area. Among the vibrant patches in this crazy quilt are three printed souvenir ribbons: two relate to Freemasons (men-only secret societies that act as social groups), and the third commemorates the 1882 Wisconsin Pharmaceutical Association meeting. Souvenir ribbons in similar crazy quilts typically reference women’s charitable organizations or Civil War veterans’ reunions. The emphasis on exclusively male social and professional societies seen here is rare in the distinctly feminine, domestic craft of quilting. The donors of this quilt trace its ownership through their grandfather, Frank H. Allen. Originally from Wisconsin, Allen later l