This quilt was previously owned by Hazel Wood Borst (b. Middleburgh, NY, 1882, d. ?), maternal grandmother of the donor. The bow-tie pattern is typical of this period, although the use of ornate, printed floral cottons is distinctive.

This quilt was previously owned by Matthew Wills Wood (b. Middleburgh, NY 1875, d. c. 1972). great uncle of the donor. According to the donor's grandmother, Hazel Wood Borst, the quilt was made by Matthew at the age of five. It is more likely that the quilt was stitched by an older female relative for the young boy. The printed cottons used in this construction are typical of the period.

Democrat John Kerry of Massachusetts opposed incumbent president George W. Bush in the presidential election of 2004. Once common devices of political propaganda, political bandannas are rare in twenty first-century campaigns. This example was produced by a special interest group--motorcyclists--who used the bandannas for a functional purpose (to keep hair from the face while riding) as well as a political one.

Schoolgirl needlework helped indoctrinate girls into the cult of domesticity, and sampler verses selected by teachers often reinforced feminine roles. The verse selected for Ruth Titus's embroidery, "Woman," instructed Ruth Titus that her future role as a wife was "to give domestic life its sweetest charm." Ruth Titus (Mrs. Isaac E. Haviland, b. 1801) came from a Quaker family, and the motifs surrounding her verse, such as the potted flowers, fruit baskets, and acorns, are associated with Quaker samplers. This sampler is similar to examples made at New York City Female Association Schools betwen 1815 and 1826.

This apron belonged to DeWitt Clinton (1769-1828) former governor of New York and mayor of New York City. Clinton was a Mason before 1794, when he became Master of the Holland Lodge.