Harriet Powers :: biographies bio biography

Harriet Powers was born as a slave in 1837 in the state of Georgia. Powers was the creator of twain specific quilts which are the most famous and well preserved examples of s asidehern American quilting tradition still in existence. Powers used the handed-down African appliqu technique coupled with the European record keeping and scriptural reference traditions. Using these techniques, Powers was able to capture historical legends and Biblical stories in her quilts. Harriet Powers quilts were first seen at a crafts fair by an artist, a grey white woman named Jennie Smith. Ms. Smith, who kept a diary and upon first meeting Harriet, recalls -- I found the owner, a negro woman, who lived in the country on a little farm whereon she and her husband made a sizable living. She is about sixty five stratums old, of a clear peppiness cake color, and is a very clean and interesting woman who loves to peach of her old miss and life befo de wah. At first Harriet Powers was unwi lling to sell her quilts to Ms. Smith. Yet when she and her family came into fiscal difficulty she agreed to sell them. Ms Smith writes -- Last year I sent her word that I would buy it if she still precious to dispose of it. She arrived one afternoon in front of my door in an ox-cart with the precious burden in her lap encased in a clean flour sack, which was still enveloped in a crocus sack. She offered it for ten dollars, only if I told her I only had five to give. After going out consulting with her husband she returned and said Owin to de hardness of de times, my ole man lows Id better tech hit. not being a new woman she obeyed. After giving me a full description of each scene with great earnestness, she departed still has been back several times to visit the darling offspring of her brain.