National Cultural History Museum

From QuiltIndex

Physical Address:

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 28088, Sunnyside, 0132 South Africa

Tel: +27 (0)12 324-6082

Fax:+27 (0)12 328-5173

For inquiries, contact Mr Glyn Balkwill, Collections Manager; Email : glyn@nfi.museum OR Ms Annemarie Carelsen (0)82 8080529

The National Cultural History Museum has a collection of about 25 quilts (quilted and tops only) dating from the Boer War and the Voortrekker period as well as some 20th century pieces. Also has an extensive collection of kappies. The museum is the central repository for a number of historical houses and small museums in that region. Currently all records are in Afrikaans. According to Annemarie, patched textiles were made by Voortrekkers as covers for beds, bread, tables, Bibles and sometimes as special carrying cases for Bibles. Annemarie is particularly interested in textiles and is interested in the potential connections between the kappies worn by Voortrekkers and the wide-brimmed bonnets worn by some pioneer women in America.

NOTE: Sunnyside is a suburb of Pretoria (Tswane).

"This information originally gathered in 2010 by Marsha MacDowell, Michigan State University Museum, during research on quilt history in South Africa that was supported by a fellowship from the International Quilt Study Center and Museum at University of Nebraska-Lincoln with additional in-kind support from Michigan State University Museum."