News
Museum at the Bighorns Quilt on Display
In honor of National Quilting Month, Museum at the Bighorns has a quilt on display at the Annual Quilt Show at the Clearmont Historical Center in Clearmont.
Museum Director Carrie Edinger had this information about quilt; This 1933 red and green applique quilt was created by Mrs. E. W. Robbins. The quilt has a Princess Feather pattern with a floral center and a berry vine border. The award ribbon attached to the quilt shows that Mrs. E.W. Robbins was a “Merit Award” winner in the 1933 Sears and Roebuck and Co. Century of Progress National Quilt Contest. This red and green applique quilt is one of four quilts in the Museum at the Bighorns collection created by Mrs. E. W. Robbins.
Mrs. E.W. “Lyda” Robbins grew up in Kansas and came to Wyoming in 1892 for a position as a teacher. She taught at schools both in Banner and Sheridan. Lyda married E.W. Robbins, a well-known merchant in Sheridan, on August 30, 1894. She was a charter member of the Congregational Circle. It is believed that Lyda was in her early 60s when she created the red and green applique quilt for the Sears National Quilt show. Lyda passed away in May 1952 at 82 years old and she is buried in the Sheridan Municipal Cemetery.
Century of Progress Nation Quilt Contest – The Sears National Quilt contest was in connection with the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair that was officially known as “The Century of Progress Exposition.” The Sears contest was the largest entered quilt show with over 24,000 entries. They offered $7,500. in prizes including a grand prize of $1,000. One reason for the high number of contest entries was the time period. It took place during the Great Depression Era and the majority of Americans needed a little extra money.
The rules for entries were simple. The quilt could not have been exhibited anywhere else before the Sears contest. The quilt had to be of the person’s own making in four months. This was from when the contest was announced in the Sears and Roebucks Catalog in January 1933 till the deadline of May 15, 1933. Many, many Americans took up the challenge and started quilting.
There were three rounds of judging to dwindle down the over 24,000 entries. There were 3 top winners that were chosen at each local round, and the local round winners were sent to one of ten Regional Mail Order Houses for another round of judging. The regional round could have over 1,000 quilts to review. Only three from each region were sent to the national round. Of those 30, the judges chose the top three and an Honorable Mention. Supposedly, all 30 quilts were exhibited during the run of the Chicago World’s Fair that summer in 1933.
The Museum at the Bighorns wants to thank the Wyoming Room staff for helping with the research on Mrs. E.W. Robbins and the Sears National Quilt Show.
Clearmont Historical Group 5th Annual Quilt Showwill run throughout the Month of March, which is National Quilting Month. Open 7 days a week from 10:00am – 2:00pm. For more information about the quilt show call 307-758-4685 or Email at clearmonthistory@gmail.com
