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Century of Progress

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QUILT INDEX RECORD

33-29-36

Description of quilt:

This quilt made of abstract designs is an original design.

Essay:

The goals Sears had for its quilt contest are not clear, but this quiltmaker seems to have wanted to design a block (not a whole quilt pictorial design) to depict the spirit of the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition. The 1933 Sears National Quilt Contest was announced in January 1933 with a deadline of May 15, 1933. Over 24,000 quilts were entered at local Sears stores or sent to one of 10 regional mail order houses. Quilts were judged at each site with the top three winners moving onto the next round. Finally just 30 quilts reached the final judging held at the Sears Pavilion on the 1933 Chicago World's Fair site. This quilt by Marie Frischkorn of Chicago did not win a prize. She was an expert embroiderer employed at Marshall Field's Department Store in downtown Chicago.

Where are the records for this quilt housed?

Merikay Waldvogel Legacy Project

Who documented this quilt?

Merikay Waldvogel Legacy Project; Sears Quilt Contest 1933 Chicago World's Fair

Merikay Waldvogel Legacy Project Number:

193

Person filling out this form is:

Quilt owner

When was the form filled out?

Sept 1997

Choose the best description of the source to the quilt:

Quilt owner

If you are the quilt owner, how did you acquire this quilt?

Purchased the quilt

Who helped you fill out the form?

Merikay Waldvogel

This is a:

Finished quilt

Quilt's title:

Century of Progress

How wide is the quilt?

83 inches

How long is the quilt?

98 inches

What color is the quilt?

Beige or Tan; Cream; Gray; Orange

Time period:

1930-1949

When was the quilt started?

1933

When was the quilt finished?

1933

Describe the quilt's layout:

Block pattern

Fiber types used to make the quilt top:

Cotton

Fabric styles used in the quilt top:

Solid/plain

Piecing techniques used to make the quilt top:

Hand Piecing

Embellishment techniques used to make the quilt top:

Embroidery

Describe the techniques used to make the quilt top:

Rays are machine-embroidered.

How are the layers held together?

Hand quilting

Quilting designs used, overall motifs:

Echo; Outline

Describe the quilting designs used:

The overall feeling of the quilting design in the central field is of rays of light emanating from the skyscraper building.

Features or notes about the quilt's appearance, materials, or construction:

When the current owner purchased the quilt from the family, they said Marie Frischkorn worked for Marshall Fields as an embroiderer. In fact, the rays embroidered on the quilt were done by her with her machine.

Quilt top made by:

Frischkorn, Marie

Quilted by:

Frischkorn, Marie

Where the quilt was made, city:

Chicago

Where the quilt was made, county:

Cook

Where the quilt was made, state:

Illinois (IL)

Where the quilt was made, country:

United States

How was this quilt acquired?

Purchase

Why was the quilt made?

Art or personal expression; Challenge or Contest entry

Quilt is presently used as:

Other collection

Where did the maker get their materials?

Purchased new

Where did the maker find their pattern?

Original to maker

Where did the quiltmaker find the pattern for the quilting design on the quilt?

Original to maker

Describe anything about the design of the quilt that wasn't already recorded in a previous field:

When the current owner purchased the quilt from the family, they said Marie Frischkorn worked for Marshal Fields as an embroiderer. In fact, the rays embroidered on the quilt were done by her with her machine.

Exhibitions where this quilt was displayed:

Spring Quilt Festival, Rosemont, Illinois

Contests entered:

Sears NationalQuilt Contest, 1933 Chicago World's Fair

Ownership of this quilt is:

Private

Quilt owner's country:

United States

Quiltmaker's maiden name:

Frischkorn

Quiltmaker's gender:

Female

Quiltmaker's birth date:

06-01-1878

Quiltmaker's date and place of death:

10-1965

In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker live?

Urban

Quiltmaker's country:

United States

Any other notes or stories about the quiltmaker:

According to information provided by the owner, "Marie Frischkorn was an embroiderer for Marshall Fields in the linens department. The chain stitching on her quilt was produced by the embroidery machine that she worked at. She was never married and worked at Fields until she was in her 50s. After that, she stayed at home to take care of her aging parents. The window in her work area looked out over the construction site for the Fair. Marie died in the 1980s while living in a nursing home. She was a life long needleworker. She did a lot of hand embroidery too, making pillow cases with crocheted and tatted edges." (Email March 24, 2003 from Chris Moline).

Who photographed this quilt?

Chris Moline

Access and copyright information:

Restricted

Copyright holder:

Chris Moline

Cite this Quilt

Frischkorn, Mari. Century of Progress. 1933. From Merikay Waldvogel Legacy Project, Merikay Waldvogel Legacy Project; Sears Quilt Contest 1933 Chicago World's Fair. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=33-29-36. Accessed: 03/29/24