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Recent Acquistions Enhances What is Known About A Quilter
By Marian Ann J. Montgomery, Ph.D.
Curator of Clothing and Textiles, Museum of Texas Tech University
A great deal of research was done regarding the maker of the pattern, Crossroads to Bachelor’s Hall, for the 2016 quilt exhibit, Legacy of a Thousand Stitches. When the research began we knew only that she was Mrs. R. P. Price, the maternal grandmother of Robert Fee and that we had two of her quilts in the collection.
Crossroads to Bachelor Hall Quilt by Olive Wigley Price, c 1910-1925, Gift of Mr. Robert F. Fee, Jr., TTU-H1999-026-002.
American Woman, a magazine out of Augusta Maine, first published this challenging quilt pattern in July 1905. Photo courtesy of the Museum of Texas Tech University.
This is the sort of quilt a beginning quilter could make, formed using lots of straight lines in a simple block pattern.The fabrics are the indigo prints that were popular at the end of the 19th century for day dresses. These were particularly desirable in rural Texas because they hid the dirt of everyday life. It is likely that Olive Pearl made this before her marriage.
Hourglass Quilt by Olive Pearl Wigley Price c 1895, Gift of Mr. Robert F. Fee, Jr., TTU-H1999-026-001.
Photo courtesy of the Museum of Texas Tech University.
Olive Pearl Wigley Price was born on August 3, 1885, married on August 8, 1905 and died on May 13, 1974. Along with her husband Robert Pickney Price they were parents to four daughters. The research on the Crossroads to Bachelor Hall Quilt led to a connection to another of Mrs. Price’s grandchildren, Judie Prude Barnes (Mrs. Charles) of Lubbock. Although we didn’t meet during the quilt exhibit we connected about a year later. It was very exciting to know that there were other beautiful quilts made by Olive Pearl Wigley Price but also that Mrs. Barnes has images of the family and the family home.
Later in the summer Mrs. Barnes not only shared the images with the museum but also donated another significant quilt by her grandmother, Olive Pearl Wigley Price. The quilt is exquisitely created with fine needlework in the pattern Wheel of Time, which is listed in as pattern #1796 in Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns.
The detail of the quilt shows the intricate piecing as well as the eight pointed pieced stars in the corners of the sashing. This is a rare quilt pattern, beautifully executed and in excellent condition.
Wheel of Time Quilt by Olive Pearl Wigley Price, c 1930, Gift of Judie Prude Barnes (Mrs. Charles) TTU-H2017-063-001.
Photo courtesy of the Museum of Texas Tech University
The images of the quilt maker and her home provide an indication of the economic situation of her family. The portrait made in her home was part of a series done by a professional photographer. It is also very special to have a photograph of the home in which two of these quilts were made.
Robert Pickney and Olive Pearl Wigley Price in their home in Colorado City, TX circa 1931, photo courtesy of Judie Prude Barnes (Mrs. Charles).
Home of Robert Pickney and Olive Pearl Price at the corner of Elm Street, Colorado City, TX circa 1931, photo courtesy of Judie Prude Barnes (Mrs. Charles).
Other images in the collection show that the family had hired help in the kitchen and also show the interior of the Price Brothers Dry Goods Store in Colorado City that provided the income for the comfortable lifestyle. The images and the quilts tell the story of a comfortable home in the early days of the settlement of West Texas. Although at first only known as Mrs. R. P. Price, her quilts provided the impetus for further research and today we not only know all her life dates and her first name, but quite a bit about her family life.
Interior of Price Brothers Dry Goods Store, Colorado City, TX. Photo courtesy of Judie Prude Barnes (Mrs. Charles).
This new donation is a significant addition to the Clothing and Textiles Collection at the Museum of Texas Tech University and one that not only adds a beautiful new object for exhibition but also, because of the photographs included in the donation, documents the history of another talented Texas quilter.
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