Made in Baltimore, Maryland
Dated 1850
Ardis and Robert James Collection, 1997.007.0319

Many Baltimore Album quilts were created to commemorate special events, such as weddings or childbirth. Our researchers do not know the exact reason this quilt was made.

This quilt was made for Mary Updegraff of Maryland. Though she married David Aughinbaugh in 1857, the quilt was dated years earlier in 1850. Perhaps it was made to commemorate a wedding that did not occur. Or maybe friends and family had it made to commemorate her maturity and readiness for marriage as an adult.

Baltimore Album quilts, like this, often include repeat fabrics and block designs. This leads scholars to believe there might have been a certain amount of centralized design and production to create them.