The Baltimore Album movement began in the early 1840’s for a brief period, probably no more than 10 years in duration.  Its earliest beginning was closely associated with the Methodist Church within a very small geographical area in Baltimore City itself. During this period a woman named Mary Evans began to draw patterns for the purpose of passing on to other women to appliqué for a lovely quilt of endearments to loved ones, for wedding quilts, and very frequently to honor friends departing for the great move west, which began in the 1840’s.

The earliest designer and maker, Mary Evans, was an active member of the Methodist Church and often brought with her blocks for stitching either to Sunday school classes or to the quilt gatherings supported by the church.  Because these blocks were so beautiful and challenging, the women were drawn – spiritually drawn – to the wonderful flowers, birds, vases, colors, and began to stitch the blocks in order to express (as true Victorian women were given to do) their affections for loved ones.

When one looks deeply into an album quilt, one sees many of the same images from quilt to quilt. That is because the makers developed a language, a means to communicate by using a lexicon – or reference – which was typical both in the study of botanicals and also of this new and expressive quilt genre.           

Today, the Baltimore quilts are being made with great fervor, by women who are adding their own new touches and symbols appropriate to our lives today.  The individually blocks, stitched by Judy Shapiro, former Wesley Artist-in-Residence, are being recreated so that these quilt patterns are documented for use by today’s stitchers and as a tangible reference to the original quilt which must be carefully preserved in museum conditions.

Ownership of the John Wesley Quilt

The Wesley quilt was found in storage at the Asbury Methodist Village in Gaithersburg, Maryland. It was given to them as a bequest in 1964 and placed in storage until found by Judith Wilson Shapiro in February, 2003. Asbury retains ownership.

Judy Shapiro
Quilter-in-Residence 2002

About the Show

Last year, Judy Shapiro called me with the exciting news of her discovery of a previously-unknown Baltimore Album Quilt with an inked portrait of John Wesley in one of its squares. Since then, Judy has spent countless hours examining and studying the quilt. Her re-creations of some of its squares and copies of Elly Sienkiewicz’ list of symbols, generated in the early 1980’s as she began her scholarly study of these quilts, were included in the exhibition.

The Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion is delighted to have this opportunity to exhibit this fragile, historic textile before it goes into careful, climate-controlled storage. We recognize its importance, along with other Baltimore Album Quilts, in understanding women’s roles the history of Methodism over 150 years ago. In exhibiting Judy Shapiro’s interpretations of the traditional patterns, we acknowledge the ongoing role that quilts and quilting have in the spiritual and communal lives of many women and men today.

Deborah Sokolove
Curator, Dadian Gallery

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send comments or questions about the gallery to the curator at:
dsokolove@wesleyseminary.edu

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