1893

Quilt

Crazy quilts, so named because they were usually constructed from odd-shaped remnants of fabric, were especially popular in the late nineteenth century. Their design was inspired in part by the Japanese decorative arts shown at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876. This quilt, inspired by the crazy quilt fad, was owned by Thomas Robb, a salesman of printing inks who lived at 2053 Kater Street in Philadelphia. Born in Ireland in 1857, Robb emigrated to the city as a child and later married Elizabeth E. Jordan, who sold trimmings in her mother's dry goods store at 1938 South Street. According to the donor, the initials embroidered in fancy lettering on this quilt are those of Robb's women friends.