The Winterthur Library

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera

Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Delaware 19735

302-888-4600 or 800-448-3883

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION

Title: Patterns and Designs

Dates: ca.1780-ca. 1930

Call No.: Col. 322

Acc. No.: [various – see detailed description]

Quantity: 3 boxes and 1 map case drawer

Location: 3 B 11-13 and map case C, drawer 2

SCOPE AND CONTENT

This artificial and still open collection consists of a variety of patterns and designs, including printed patterns for clothing; templates for furniture; embroidery patterns; transfer designs for pottery; quilt patterns; knitting and crochet patterns; Battenberg lace patterns; and other miscellaneous designs. Included are printed patterns for a woman's shirt waist and a girls’ dresses; printed embroidery design sheets; Berlin work patterns; instructions for drafting and cutting articles of clothing; knitting instructions; directions for stamping perforated patterns; stencils; scroll saw or fretwork patterns; and some weaving drafts. Many of these designs and patterns were intended for domestic, not commercial, use.

Of special interest is "A New System of Delineating Garments,” by Otis Madison, dated 1829. This outlines pattern pieces for men’s clothing, which drawings would have to be enlarged to fit a customer. Also of interest is the envelope which held a kit to make a "Map of the Pacific Front," designed in 1944 by Mary Ellen Crisp.

ORGANIZATION

Arranged in by size and then in accession number order.

LANGUAGE OF MATERIALS

The materials are chiefly visual, but instructions are in English.

RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply.

PROVENANCE

Purchases and gifts from various sources.

Accession 16x29: gift of David Douret.

Accession 16x74: gift of Marilyn R. Court.

Accession 2017x6: gift of American Revolution Center.

Accession 2017x22.1-.3: gift of David Douret.

Accession 2017x71: gift of Maggie Lidz.

ACCESS POINTS

People:

Madison, Otis.

Brooks, Alice.

Orr, Anne, 1875-1946.

Chamberlain, George B., 1858-1902.

Crisp, Mary Ellen, 1896-

Topics:

May Manton’s Bazar.

Perry Mason & Co.

W.N. Swett & Co. (New York).

Domestic Sewing Machine Co. (New York, N.Y.)

Jessie Sperry & Co.

Virginia Snow Studios.

New Idea Pattern Co. (New York, N.Y.)

Good Housekeeping Institute (Great Britain)

Alphabets.

Battenberg lace.

Berlin woolwork.

Canvas embroidery, Victorian - Patterns.

Children's clothing - Patterns.

Clothing and dress.

Costume.

Coverlets.

Crocheting – Patterns.

Embroidery - Patterns.

Dressmaking - Patterns.

Fretwork – Designs.

Furniture making.

Handicraft.

Knitting.

Knitting – Patterns.

Maps – Asia.

Mittens - Patterns.

Pottery – Themes, motives.

Quilting – Patterns.

Staffordshire pottery.

Stencils and stencil cutting.

Weaving – Patterns.

Transfer-printing.

Patterns (design elements).

Stencils (images).

Godey’s magazine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

Location: 3 B 11-12, and map case C, drawer 2

Box 1: (large box)

76x85 "A New System of Delineating Garments,” by Otis Madison: printed pattern for clothing, apparently men’s jackets and coats, dated August 13, 1829. These are small-scale patterns which then had to be enlarged to the size of the customer. Madison lived in New York. The sheet was printed by P. Desobry of New York.

(trex 6891)

[Otis Madison first published his new system of delineating garments in 1827. He introduced the shoulder measurement into tailoring, which had before depended on breast measurements. In 1846, he formed a partnership with William Seeley of Philadelphia, and they published the periodical The Costume. He died in 1872.]

90x95 “Knit Lalma,” handwritten instructions for Jacquard knitting, one set being “James Smith’s pattern” and the other “taken from Peterson’s,” ca. 1850.

[in folder with 00x106.33a-b and 00x106.34]

00x106.33a “Crazy Patchwork Stitches,” a little booklet with samples of embroidery patterns to use on the pieces of a patchwork quilt, as well as samples of the stitches to use to decorate the seams, ca. 1900?

00x106.33b “The Basket of Chips Quilt,” number FC-165D. A printed pattern for making and quilting this quilt pattern, ca. 1930s?

00x106.34 “Complete Manual of Instructions in the Art of Stamping with Perforated Patterns,” brochure copyrighted 1891 and 1893 by W.N. Swett & Co. With illustrations showing a woman using perforated patterns.

[see also Col. 615 for patterns from W.N. Swett & Co.]

06x70.1-.11 Crochet and knitting patterns, ca.1935-1940.

Knitting related items include: (.1a-c) an envelope addressed to Mrs. Donald Ross, inside of which are instructions for knitting a baby blanket and a knitted sample of the pattern; (.2) an ad for a booklet of knitted designs for household use available from Good Housekeeping, August 1936; (.3) socks, design X385; and (.10) mittens by Alice Brooks, no. 7220.

Crochet items include: (.4-5) doilies, patterns327 and 349; (.6) jacket by Alice Brooks, no. 5653; (.7) skirt by Alice Brooks, no. 5839; (.8-9) handbags by Alice Brooks, no. 7218 (two copies of same pattern sheet); and (.11) a sheet showing crochet stitches, no. 1305.

(Alice Brooks apparently was not a real person, but just the name of a line of knitting and crochet patterns sold by Reader Mail, Inc. of New York City in the 1930s-1940s.)

16x74 Embroidery patterns, 1914-1922.

Many of these patterns were published in the Chicago Tribune or in women’s magazines; included are a number of alphabets and designs for glove cases, collars, towels, doilies, small tablecloths, napkins, and other household linens. Several monograms incorporate the initials EKN. Some of the patterns have evidence of use. As well, there are two booklets of transfer patterns, one by Anne Orr (her book 20), and the other issued by Virginia Snow Studios (Elgin, Ill.), for using Collingbourne’s thread (A.B.C. Monogram and Initial Book, no. 14). Some of the patterns were in an envelope addressed to Mrs. Mordin, 4460 Kasson Ave., Chicago; all the patterns may have belonged to her, but nothing is known about her.

Box 2: (medium box)

Ph1262.1-.4 four black-and-white photographs of two different two-page spreads from a pattern book owned by the company Josiah Wedgwood & Sons; one page shows the designs to be used to decorate pottery, and the opposite page describes the colors used ; one photograph shows designs numbered 55-70, and the other three photos show designs numbered 85-99.

(permission to use must be granted by Wedgwood)

(trex 5031)

73x17.1-.4 Patterns or templates: a frieze motif and brackets, probably for a table or other piece of furniture, possibly English, ca. 1780.

(trex 6015)

76x446 "Godey's Presentation Sheet of Embroideries, Etc. January, 1870," a printed embroidery design sheet, including an alphabet (lower case letters), a butterfly design with space for initials, a lozenge shape with space for initials, several designs with scalloped edges, a Greek key pattern, a slipper pattern, and others.

(trex 7143)

77x425 May Manton's Bazar [sic] Pattern no. 3809: Woman's Tucked Shirt Waist, a printed pattern in envelope, ca. 1890-1910. A picture of the garment is included. This pattern was made for a 36 inch bust.

(trex 7512)

02x134.1 pencil drawings, probably for carving furniture or woodwork, ca.1770-1790?; three of the designs have been pricked (one only partially pricked) to facilitate the transfer of the design to another surface.

The paper bears watermarks: two shields, and a name that begins with N.

04x39.1-.2 two identical transfer prints for pottery, both in blue, labeled Spode’s Italian, Copeland, England; the design shows a castle, cottages, and ruins by a river, with shepherds with cows and sheep in the foreground

[see Col. 216 for more pottery transfer prints]

12x60.4a-e Five patterns for Berlin work or other canvas work or cross-stitch. Four of the patterns were printed by Z.A. Grunthal (numbers 2709, 2140, 2297, and 1723) and the fifth by Hertz & Wegener (number 4493), both of Berlin. All the patterns include floral elements. One sheet has a pattern is intended for a chair seat, and two sheets have long repeating patterns. The designs are hand-colored on graph paper.

On the back of one pattern is written Jessie Sperry & Co., care of E.S. Jaffray, Jessie Sperry Austin. On the back of another is written J.F. Sperry, James Sperry, J.F.S. Jessie Sperry may have sold these patterns.

12x82 dress pattern: “Domestic” Paper Fashions, manufactured by the “Domestic” Sewing Machine Company, pattern no. 1292, for Girls’ Breton Dress, circa 1880. Pattern envelope and 9 pattern pieces.

Information on envelope: this pattern sized for 2 year old girl, bust measure 19 inches. Includes quantity of yard goods and braid needed, instructions for cutting out the pattern, and some information about sewing the dress together. Picture of dress is included.

12x125.1 stencil, probably for doing a design on furniture; includes ovals and interlocking horseshoes

12x125.2 stencil, perhaps for decorating a clock hand; it includes an image of a bird on top of a steeple.

12x125.3-.6 stencils for a nun (.3) and 3 human heads, including one angry man (.5)

[note: these were found in a copy of The Rush-Light, by Peter Porcupine, which once was in the Bertrand Room, but is now in Rare Books]

12x125.7a-f New Idea Pattern Co. (New York, N.Y.)

Dress pattern no. 6767: girls’ empire dress, circa 1905-1910

Envelope and five pattern pieces for a dress for a girl of 8 years, with 26 inch bust. (Six pattern pieces are missing). The envelope includes directions and a cutting layout.

12x125.8a-e Knitting directions for two shawls and for scallops. One of the shawl patterns is labeled as “Mrs. Martin’s shawl pattern.” All directions are hand-written. No date, circa 1940-1960?

12x125.10a-f Chamberlain, George B., 1858-1902.

Mitten pattern, circa 1895.

This is not a pattern for knitted mittens, but for mittens cut from fabric or leather. The information sheet was printed by George B. Chamberlain of Lewis, Essex County, New York. The pattern pieces were cut from a magazine; one page makes reference to a book published in 1895, but there is no way to know whether these pieces came from Chamberlain or were from another source. There are no directions for constructing the mittens.

15x18 four transfer patterns for china, acquired during a visit to Faïencerie de Gien in France; one pattern is for a small platter, the center medallion of which has a design of a castle; one pattern is of a flowering shrub; another sheet has different designs on it, plus the intertwined initials E, C, I and N, and the words France and Gien; and the fourth pattern is a large sheet with a bird sitting on a wisteria vine. Filed with the patterns are two brochures about the Faïencerie de Gien and its museum.

The Faïencerie de Gien opened in 1821, founded by Thomas Hall, a pottery manufacturer from Stoke-on-Trent. It remains in business.

16x70.42a-d weaving drafts, probably for coverlets, not signed; one is labeled “Quaker’s Fancy”; .42b is a double-page spread which has been stitched together along a tear; all the drafts indicate the patterns using numbers; none of the patterns are drawn

16x70.43 weaving draft for the coverlet pattern “The Rose in the Wilderness”; this draft is similar to those in 16x70.42

16x99 Good Housekeeping Institute (Great Britain)

Coats & Clark

Embroidered patchwork bedspread to make, circa 1960-1980?

Packet of directions and twenty-two transfer patterns for making an embroidered bedspread with designs of vegetables, herbs, flowers, and a pond (to be in the middle of the bedspread). The directions give numbers for the Clark’s embroidery thread to be used for executing the designs. The packet of directions refers to a photograph, but that is not part of this group.

2017x6 pottery transfer print, for a round plate, in brown, labeled “Vue du Chateau Ermenonville”

2017x22.1-.3 Three Berlin work patterns, all in color on graph paper.

.1 floral design, perhaps for a handbag, although if done on a larger scale, for a shaped chair seat; no. 7837, from P. Trübe in Berlin;

.2 border and corner design, with stylized foliage; no. 8135, from P. Trübe in Berlin;

.3 hunting dog with duck, no. 4203 [or 4205], from Louis Glüer, Berlin.

2019x20.10 Weaving draft, labeled “The Blazing Star;”

on other side of paper is the title “Rose of the Wilderness or the true lovers knot,” but there is no pattern for that. The item is signed Susan R. Hall, and dated October 11^th 1848. [No attempt was made to locate Susan R. Hall.]

2019x71 illustrated envelope which once held a kit for making a Mary Ellen Crisp needlework design, “Map of the Pacific Front,” copyright 1944. The envelope had help stamped material, thread, and instructions, for making a map which included the Philippines, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Netherlands East Indies, and part of Australia. The kit was distributed through Mary Ryan of New York and Chicago.

Mary Ellen Crisp (born 1896 in Nutley, New Jersey) made needlework pictures (the Cooper-Hewitt has several of her works), and was also a designer and decorator. She worked with the company Columbia-Minerva, which had also worked with Erica Wilson. Her husband was Arthur Crisp, but nothing further was learned about her.

Box 3: (small box)

16x29.1-.8 Battenberg lace patterns, circa 1880-circa 1910.

Nine different patterns for Battenberg lace, a type of tape lace. One pattern is for a square table nat. It includes a note in French in one corner, but part of the note is torn off. One pattern is for an oval table mat. (This pattern is in distressed condition and great care must be used in handling it.) One is for an odd-shaped doily or perhaps a motif to be incorporated into a larger design. The other five patterns are for long pieces of Battenberg lace, such as would be used to trim table and bed linens or clothing items. One of these long pieces is tied with the kind of tape which could have been used for Battenberg lace. (Do not untie the tape or attempt to unfold this pattern.)

The two table mats are in an oversize folder, in a map case.

In Map Case:

74x169 Pattern Sheet no. 3, published by Perry Mason & Co., Youth’s Companion Office, Boston.

Pattern sheet for fretwork or scroll saw designs, including patterns for a hand mirror, small easels, picture frames, a bird, a child on a sled hitched to a dog, silhouettes, and other assorted designs. Includes “Lessons in Finishing Fret Work.”

(trex 6360)

82x169 "The Ladies Guide, or An Easy and Certain way of drafting and cutting Ladies and Childrens Dresses also Boy's Coats etc.,” 1860, printed pattern mounted on fabric (printed in the United States). Includes directions for taking measurements. There are slits in the paper to facilitate the drafting of a pattern.

02x134.2 a sheet of patterns for parts of furniture, such as the back of a chair and legs for tables or chairs. Some of the designs have been pricked in order to facilitate their transfer to another surface. Writing on the back is not very clear, but appears to be German.

16x29.7-.8 Battenberg lace patterns - see description above. Only two of the patterns are in an oversize folder.