QUILTS & FABRIC: PAST & PRESENT


Friday, January 13, 2017

PAST PERFECT QUILTS: Hortense Beck


Detail of one of her Mary Brown copies by Hortense Beck.


The Trade & Commerce Quilt
Reproduction by Hortense Beck,
above and below.



"Trade & Commerce Quilt" original.
Hannah Stockton Stiles, About 1830.
Collection of the Fenimore Art Museum, New York

See more about the original Trade & Commerce quilt at these posts

Beck was a master at copying antique quilts.

Hortense Horton Beck 1920 -2009

From her obituary in 2009:
"Beck spent 30 years replicating historical album applique quilts, as well as creating her own quilts. Recently her large quilt collection was given to the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln,"
I thought I'd regularly introduce you to some masters of traditional quilting, particularly to people who are influenced by antique quilts. Beck, who worked quietly in Topeka, Kansas, was one of the most productive and skilled. She drew her own patterns from pictures she found in books. As far as I know she stitched all these by hand and hand quilted them herself.

Stars & Stripes Forever
by Hortense Beck

IQSC has pictures of 60 quilts by Hortense Beck at their website.
Go to their search page here:

And type her last name Beck in under Advanced Search/Quiltmaker.

Hortense Beck, Cotton Boll

Hortense Beck
Mary Brown #3

Look for another Past Perfect Quiltmaker next month,

6 comments:

  1. Amazing quilting. Have you done any research on Hannah Stockton Stiles and her commerce quilt. I'd be interested in learning more.

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  2. Gorgeous quilts!

    Which brings up a question - I see one link is to a blog on quilts from the War of 1812 time frame. How many other specialized blogs have you had that I don't know about? I've only been reading this one for about 3 years, and only know of the ones in your side bar.

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  3. I periodically have done others on specific topics for a year or so. I should post a list.

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  4. Thank you for all the information that you distribute via your Blog. Like you I am worried that the traditional quilting is getting short shrift with the big push on the Modern Quilts.

    I love the traditional quilts & enjoy seeing the Old Ones at any opportunity that I can, which means I am an avid follower of your site.

    I had the chance a few years ago to see some of the amazing quilts by this quilter when I visited the IQSCM. They were really marvelous as many were done before the availability of the reproduction fabrics that we have access to now.

    I have also enjoyed the the many series that you have run over the last few years about fabric & dyes. Again thank you for all that work & research that you so generously share.

    Dawn Fox Cooper

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  5. Dawn---Glad to see you enjoy reading the posts. These Beck quilts are a real treasure and so little known.

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