In quilt history circles, we hear the same names mentioned, again and again, a rehash of the same facts about the same people, and usually their contributions, as a party of one. I was privileged and pleased to learn of the life and contributions of Ellen Emeline Hardy Webster, a 1930s quilt historian from New Hampshire. Before my research, nothing much was known of her life by those who hold her quilt “charts.” The institution had been laboring for ten years under the false information that her name was “Emily.” It was not, and Emily was never even a nickname.
I dedicated many hours, days, weeks and months to not only studying her extant works, but in compiling a list of her life’s contributions within a 355 page/ 340 photo document that is published as an e-book on CD by Quilter’s Muse Publications. This book can be viewed on any computer, or printed out, if you prefer to read printed material.
The CD was exciting to research, as I kept discovering new facts about New Hampshire, most especially history from Hebron, Franklin, and Concord, as well as the societal environment in which Ellen lived in both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It was a joy to locate and read all of Ellen Webster’s published findings.
Ellen was important in her own day, especially when she was young and beautiful. After her death in 1950, news of her and her life went into partial obscurity and much of what has been written about her recently, is inaccurate.
When her adopted daughter died, the estate administrators found Ellen Webster’s quilt charts, and not knowing what to do with them, they gave all 162 charts, with more than 200 “saved designs,” to the New Hampshire Historical Society where they languished on a shelf for years.
With no quilt historian on-hand, the charts were described incorrectly, in some instances, and the penciled notations on them were never transcribed in their entirety, or interpreted, until I came along. I could easily make sense of the information as I am a quilt historian, and I understand construction techniques and color combinations, and am also a nationally-certified master craftsman in quilting, so I have the experience of being well-schooled in quilting techniques which leads to a greater understanding.
Moreover, in presenting Mrs. Webster to the general public, I wanted to place her work within a greater framework of the other quilt historians of her time, particularly those she had mentioned on the charts. My husband, Jim, was asked by the NH Historical Society’s Registrar to photograph all of the charts. He did so, and edited the photos, and we presented those images to the Society for their use in their internal catalogue. A colorful article that I wrote was published in The Quilter magazine that showed 12 of the chart designs and discussed their significance, as well as findings about Mrs. Webster.
There is a lot of satisfaction in doing fine work and responsible research. We left no stone unturned and the result is a CD that is beautiful tribute to the life and work of a very special lady who remains special, even in death. The book is a beautiful read. It is a celebration of all that was Ellen.
Patricia Cummings
Quilter’s Muse Publications
Tags: Ellen A. Webster, Ellen Emeline Hardy Webster, Ellen Webster CD, Emily Webster Browne, false name, International Quilt Study Center, Quilter's Muse Publications, The New Hampshire Historical Society
