Harriet Powers: Rediscovered 19th-Century Quilt Artist

Harriet Powers, who was born into slavery in Georgia in 1837, is celebrated today as a prominent quilt artist of the 19th century. Only two of her narrative quilts remain: the Bible Quilt (1886), housed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and the Pictorial Quilt (1895) at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Her creations blend biblical narratives, local history, and astronomical events through appliqué and piecework techniques. In a letter, Powers mentioned at least five quilts, including one from 1882. The Bible Quilt debuted at the 1886 Cotton Fair in Athens, Georgia, where Jennie Smith acquired it in 1891 for five dollars. The Pictorial Quilt was commissioned by women faculty at Atlanta University in 1895. Powers passed away in 1910, and her artistry remained overlooked until it was rediscovered in the 1970s.