"She said the Monkey Wrench quilt was a signal for the slaves to begin their escape preparations by collecting the 'tools' they thought they would need on their journey north...The monkey wrench was an essential tool in transforming metal; mental tools could be used to transform the slave, to reshape self images. Knowledge has always been the most effective tool no matter what the situation" Hidden in Plain View, pages 83-84
"She said that the Wagon Wheel quilt, the second one to be displayed on the fence, was a sign alerting slaves to pack provisions for their journey as if they were packing a wagon, meaning that they should think about what was essential for survival during their trip." Hidden in Plain View, page 84
"Ozella also addressed the bear's paw trail, explaining that it was really a visual reference reminding the fugitives to follow the actual trail of a bear's footprints. These footprints would undoubtedly indicate the best path and would also lead to food and/or water." Hidden in Plain View, page 84
"We have considered how a knowledgeable but mysterious person or persons guided the fugitives from the plantation to the Appalachian mountain range, where they followed the trail of the bear until they crossed over into Ohio on the way to Cleveland, the crossroads. Once they arrived at the crossroads, their lives changed permanently." Hidden in Plain View, page 95
"It is our conjecture that 'dug a cabin on the ground' refers to the act of drawing a symbol on the ground in order to recognize persons with whom it is safe to communicate...Once again we see used a technique that allows for communication when it is unsafe to communicate with voice or words." Hidden in Plain View, page 104 Log Cabin |
Shoofly |
"Ozella told us that dressing up in cotton and satin bows was a direction to the slaves to dress in a formal manner...Might not this phrase also be a direction to dress up in order not to stand out among city folks, if in the final legs of their journey, the fugitives were to walk through town to get to the ships awaiting them?"
Hidden in Plain View, pages 105-107
Hidden in Plain View, pages 105-107
Bow Ties |
"While Ozella referred to the Double Wedding Ring as symbolizing getting rid of the chains the slaves might still be wearing, she also stated that it was essential for the slaves to also rid themselves of the mental bonds of slavery."
Hidden in Plain View, page 109
Hidden in Plain View, page 109
Double Wedding Rings
Caroline Renard
...The part that stood out most to me was the subject of the Middle Passage. It was the water that drew me in initially ...But the flow of the water, like life is one of turbulence and calm. Fair weather and following seas are what sailors want most. A squall however can come without warning and strikes unmercifully to the least prepared, leaving much damage in its wake. So it was with this history in my mind that I approached my art. [Read More]
"Migrating birds or geese instinctively knew in which direction to fly. For the fugitives, quilt patterns provided directions. The flexibility that this Flying Geese pattern offers would enable a quilter to use it as a compass...Once a direction was established, the fugitives were able to travel on."
Hidden in Plain View, page 113
Hidden in Plain View, page 113
Revelle Hamilton Flying Geese pattern told the slaves to follow migrating geese north towards Canada and to freedom. This pattern was used as directions as well as the best season for slaves to escape. Geese fly north in spring and summer. Geese also stop at waterways along their journey to rest and eat. I Interpreted Flying Geese in paper, painting the re and blue "fabrics" in African motifs. The green triangles represent maps of the corn fields and may have aided slaves who were unfamiliar with the layout of a specific plantation to find their way. |
Allyson Turner This is a very old pattern which represented Canada as a place to flee to. Slaves would cross the Detriot River to get to Chatham and on to Toronto. I lived in Canada for forty years where there is a rich quilting tradition of folks with African heritage. I wanted to honor these women by making my quilt a authentic as I could using those traditional techniques. I have come full circle … when I first started to quilt the flying geese was the pattern I choose to make my first quilt |
"When we asked Ozella about the drunkard's path, she turned a quilt over and focused on the reverse side. Running her fingers along the threads, she said, 'Drunkards weave back and forth, never moving in a straight line.' She believed the Drunkard's Path pattern was a warning to slaves to move in zigzag fashion and to even double back occasionally on their tracks in order to elude any slave catchers pursing them."
Hidden in Plain View, page 114
Hidden in Plain View, page 114
Drunkard's Path |
"Like the star of Bethlehem guiding the Wise Men, the North Star has been historically connected with the Underground Railroad...While we can only surmise which constellations might have aided escape, the historical precedent for using the stars as guiding lights has been firmly established."
Hidden in Plain View, pages 114-115
Hidden in Plain View, pages 114-115
Follow the Drinking Gourd |
A Tribute to Harriet Tubman |
Quilt Journey Markers
Sharon Kessler
At the first meeting of artists for this project, everyone else had already chosen a quilt block they were inspired to create. I was hoping one of the blocks would just jump out at me as “the ONE”, but it didn’t happen. While listening to the artist who conceived this project explain her vision of the show, she mentioned the need to display a mnemonic that would form a path between the blocks. Immediately, I pictured some kind of hand sculpted letters that would tell their story and volunteered. A few days later as I rolled the black clay between my hands to form the body of the letters, images of African art kept running through my mind. With a pinch or two of white clay shaped into little embellishments, it was exciting to see the letters start taking on a sort of tribal appeal that I felt lent itself well to telling this amazing story.