MEDIA KIT - Queensland Art Gallery

MEMORIES AND EMOTIONS
At the start of the 20th-century, increased access to mass-produced goods such as bedcovers marked a
decline in traditional craft skills. Quilt-making survived in economically deprived areas such as Wales and
the north-east of England, where the design and sewing of quilts were both an important means of selfexpression
and a way of earning money for widows and families with no income. Throughout the 20thcentury
quilts continued to have a functional role, providing warmth and decoration yet also serving as acts
of remembrance providing a link between the past and the present.
SANDERSON STAR BEDCOVER 1910–20
The design of this bedcover, originally conceived by quilt
designer Elizabeth Sanderson, was much emulated in the early
20th-century. Although this quilt cannot be attributed to
Sanderson, it testifies to her significance as a designer and
teacher.
She had a profitable career as a ‘stamper’ marking out quilt-top
designs in blue pencil for quilting by professional or domestic
quilters. She ran an apprentice system, training young girls in
stamping at her house so that they could eventually be hired as
professional markers.
Maker unknown / ‘Sanderson Star’ bedcover
1910–20 / Cotton / Collection: Victoria and
Albert Museum, London / © Victoria and
Albert Museum, London
THE RAJAH QUILT 1841
In 1816, Elizabeth Fry formed the British Ladies’
Society for the Reformation of Female Prisoners. They
donated sewing supplies to women in prison and soon
turned their attention to convict ships bound for
Tasmania.
Fabric, thread and needles were carried on board HMS
Rajah by 180 women prisoners when it set sail from
Woolwich on 5 April 1841. When the ship arrived in
Hobart, Australia, the women had produced The Rajah
quilt. Now in the National Gallery of Australia
Collection, it is one of the world’s most important
textiles.
Unknown female convicts on board the Rajah / The Rajah quilt
(detail) 1841 / Pieced medallion style unlined coverlet: cotton
sheeting and chintz appliqué, silk thread embroidery / 325 x
337.2cm / Gift of Les Hollings and the Australian Textiles Fund
1989 / Collection: National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
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