Medium/Discipline: Crafts
Birthplace: Frederick County, Maryland
Place of Death: Frederick County, Maryland
Maryland Affiliation: Born here, Active while in residence
Prominent Theme: Quilts; Textiles
Gender: Female
Race/Ethnicity: White
Biography: Considered by textile historians as one of the finest quiltmakers of her day, Anna Catherine Hummel Markey Garnhart (1773-1860) is known internationally for her meticulously rendered quilts; museum curators have found as many as 22 stitches per inch over every square inch of her quilts as large as nine feet square. Garnhart used a rare technique called "reverse applique" or "inlay work" that was used by few quiltmakers before 1900; a printed fabric was laid down with a white ground cloth laid over it, with the fabric cut away and sewn down to reveal a design. She used only the finest imported cotton, at a generous $1 per yard for the economy at the time, that she was able to get as it arrived in the port of Baltimore. Her commitment was based on her desire to pass down a "Legacy" to each of her 11 grandchildren, who have capably preserved the quilts and the stories behind each of them.
Eight of Garnhart's quilts were exhibited in 1991 at the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Museum in Washington, DC in a show called A Family Legacy: The Quilts of Catherine Garnhart 1773-1864. Nancy Tuckhorn, DAR Museum Curator of Textiles organized the show and is writing a book about Garnhart's life that highlights the importance of the quilts Garnhart so lovingly crafted for her descendants.
Selected References: Stegman, Carolyn B. Women of Achievement in Maryland History (Forestville, MD: Anaconda Press), 2002.
Single-Artist Exhibitions: A Family Legacy: The Quilts of Catherine Garnhart 1773-1864, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Museum, Washington, DC, 1991.
|
 |
|
