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An often-overlooked source of
late 19th century quilt patterns is Newcomb Loom Works of Davenport,
Iowa. Founded by Charles Newcomb in 1889, this manufacturer of home
looms aimed its products at women, suggesting that weaving rugs and
other textiles (on Davenport looms with unthreatening names like Little
Daisy and Weaver's Friend) would be a good way for women to earn money.
Like many manufacturers of
the era including Singer, Newcomb distributed trade cards to develop
name recognition and encourage business. Newcomb's were sure to
get women's attention: they consisted of brightly-colored quilt
block patterns (many of which were identical to those sold by Ladies Art
Company, which also started business in the late 1880s). Like
Ladies Art, Newcomb offered full-sized patterns for 10 cents, but most
quilters probably drafted their own from the illustrations.
Following are some of the Newcomb trade cards in circulation in the
decades surrounding the turn of the century. (If you have
additional Newcomb patterns you'd like to share, I'd be happy to publish
them here - just email me a scan. Many
thanks to Kim Smith for providing cards from her grandmother's
collection.)
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