Deerfield, Mass. (June 5, 2017)---Historic Deerfield's outstanding collection of early New England textiles was recently strengthened through the addition of an important sewn woolen bed rug, marked "1801/Esther Packard." The rug is one of a group of four similar bed rugs, at least two of which have been attributed to members of the Packard Family of Massachusetts. The other three examples include a rug marked "RP [Rachel Packard]/1805" in the collections of the Henry Ford Museum, a rug marked "PG 1805" in the collections of the Winterthur Museum, and another marked "BNP/1806" in the collections of the American Folk Art Museum.
Esther (Porter) Packard was born at Abington, Massachusetts in 1733 to Jacob Porter and Esther Ford, and married Abel Packard at Abington in 1751. The couple appears to have relocated to Cummington, Massachusetts in the 1770s. Esther survived her husband (who died in 1804), and died at Cummington in 1812. Esther would have been approximately 68 years of age when she finished the bed rug in 1801. Her bed rug is the earliest of the group of 4 similar bed rugs, and may have served as the design source for the "RP/1805," "PG 1805," and "BNP/1806" bed rugs.
The museum's recent acquisition of the bed rug happily coincides with the 52nd anniversary of the Helen Geier Flynt Textile Gallery, which opened to the public as Fabric Hall on June 4, 1965. The Esther Packard bed rug will be on display for public viewing now through the end of the 2017 season at Historic Deerfield's Ashley House. Those seeking additional information regarding the bed rug may contact Historic Deerfield's Curator of Textiles, David E. Lazaro, at lazaro@historic-deerfield.org.
About Historic Deerfield, Inc.
Historic Deerfield, Inc., is dedicated to the heritage and preservation of Deerfield, Massachusetts, and the Connecticut River Valley. Its museums and programs provide today's audiences with experiences that create an understanding and appreciation of New England's historic villages and countryside.
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Bed Rug, by Esther Packard (1733-1812), Cummington, Massachusetts, 1801. Textile: Polychrome 6-ply woolen yarns; light blue plain weave wool ground
. Museum Collections Fund, HD 2017.6
