Description: Photograph depicting the interior of the United States Federal District Court in Columbus, Ohio, ca. 1890. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL02972
Subjects: Courts--Ohio--Franklin County; Columbus (Ohio)--Politics and government; Architecture; Decorative arts
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Made in Brussels in the first quarter of the 16th century, this tapestry titled "Adoration of the Magi" was made by a follower of Hugo van der Goes, a 15th century Flemmish painter. It is made of wool and silk with gold and silver threads, with warp 24, weft 93-95, and measures 35.75 inches by 33.25 inches. It was added to the collections of the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati, Ohio, on May 2, 1902. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B03F07_010_1
Subjects: Taft Museum of Art; Tapestry; Decorative arts; Works Progress Administration; Ohio Federal Writers' Project
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: This is a Victorian-era portrait of Kathy Brown, an African American woman, in which she poses in front of a hanging backdrop decorated with a floral motif. Brown wears an elegant dress with flowers embroidered onto the cloth. She rests her right hand on an elaborately carved arm chair. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: OVS2990
Subjects: Portrait photography; African American women; Clothing and dress; Decorative arts, Victorian
 

Description: Reverse reads: "Cinci., O., Mar. 1938. Two Medallions of the Early Stage. Woodcarvings by Fry ? or Patterson ?" View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B03F07_021_1
Subjects: Woodcarving; Medallions (Decorative arts); Portrait medallions
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: Reverse reads: "Cinci., O., Mar. 1938. Two Medallions of the Early Stage. Woodcarvings by Fry ? or Patterson ?" View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B03F07_031_1
Subjects: Portrait medallions; Medallions (Decorative arts); Woodcarving
Places: Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: Stevengraph bookmark containing image of poet Robert Burns, ca. 1862-1889. Thomas Stevens, a weaver in Coventry, England, used a mechanically operated jacquard loom to weave intricate, three-dimensional patterns in silk. He called these creations "stevengraphs." Among the first products he created were silk bookmarks (in 1862). This bookmark features an oval portrait of Robert Burns, a famous Burns quotation, a cottage, and a silk tassel. The silk is primarily gray with black and violet accents. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05909
Subjects: Bookmarks; Stevengraph pure silk woven pictures; Jacquard weaving; Stevens, Thomas, 1828-1888; Decorative arts
Places: Coventry (England)
 

Description: Stevengraph portrait of U.S. President Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901). This item was sold for only a short period and is consequently very rare. Weaver Thomas Stevens of Coventry, England, invented the woven-silk pictures, which he called “stevengraphs.” His company first produced woven-silk bookmarks in 1862. Coventry, England, was the heart of a ribbon-weaving industry during the mid-19th century. Stevengraphs were made using a jacquard loom in which mechanically operated devices wove intricate, three-dimensional patterns in silk. The design was actually part of the fabric, not a painted or dyed image. This ribbon features a bust of Benjamin Harrison, a shield and flags with the Stars and Stripes, and a reproduction of Harrison's signature. A fringe runs along the bottom border. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05912
Subjects: Stevengraph pure silk woven pictures; Jacquard weaving; Stevens, Thomas, 1828-1888; Decorative arts
Places: Coventry (England)
 

Description: A stevengraph image entitled "Called to the Rescue: Heroism at Sea." This scene depicts a group of 13 men in a boat who are attempting a rescue in stormy seas. They are fighting their way to a sinking ship (right edge). Another sailing ship and a lighthouse are visible in the left background. Underneath the image is a caption that reads: "Woven in silk by Thomas Stevens Inventor and Manufacturer, Coventry and London (Registered)." This image was registered on February 20, 1880. (It was a companion piece to a picture titled "For Life or Death: Heroism on Land," which depicting fire-engine scenes.) originally created by Stevens, a Coventry weaver, invented the woven-silk pictures, which he called “stevengraphs.” Stevengraphs were made using a jacquard loom in which mechanically operated devices wove intricate, three-dimensional patterns in silk. The picture was actually part of the fabric, not painted or dyed on the fabric's surface. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05913
Subjects: Stevengraph pure silk woven pictures; Jacquard weaving; Stevens, Thomas, 1828-1888; Decorative arts
Places: Coventry (England)
 

Description: A stevengraph picture entitled "The Good Old Days." This landscape shows a Royal Mail coach-and-four with five men riding in exterior seats. They appear to be wearing heavy winter clothing in muted tones of brown and dull gold. The coach, however, is colored in vivid blue and red. The picture, which was registered as being issued on August 14, 1879, was manufactured by the Thomas Stevens Company of Coventry, England. Coventry weaver Thomas Stevens invented the woven-silk pictures, which he called “stevengraphs.” They were made using a jacquard loom in which mechanically operated devices wove intricate, three-dimensional patterns in silk.The pictures actually were woven into the fabric (not painted or dyed on its surface). The caption below the image reads: "Woven in silk by Thomas Stevens, inventor and manufacturer, Coventry and London, (registered)." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05914
Subjects: Stevengraph pure silk woven pictures; Jacquard weaving; Stevens, Thomas, 1828-1888; Decorative arts
Places: Coventry (England)
 

Description: Trade label from the stevengraph image " The Good Old Days," was manufactured by the Thomas Stevens Company, Coventry, England. The label includes an image of the Stevens factory and a row of medals. A handwritten notation in the upper left corner reads: "From Annette P. Ward, Oct. 1913." Thomas Stevens, a Coventry weaver, invented the woven-silk pictures he called “stevengraphs.” These images were made using a jacquard loom in which mechanically operated devices wove intricate, three-dimensional patterns in silk. The image actually was part of the fabric (as opposed to being painted or dyed on the surface). The printed trade label pasted on the back of a stevengraph helps to identify the age of the piece and the authenticity of the subject. Stevengraph labels list subjects for sale; prize medals and diplomas awarded to Thomas Stevens; the company's address; and trade marks used by the company. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05915
Subjects: Labels--Catalogs; Stevengraph pure silk woven pictures; Jacquard weaving; Stevens, Thomas, 1828-1888; Decorative arts
Places: Coventry (England)
 

Description: Stevengraph image entitled "Landing of Columbus, Oct. 12, 1492." It was woven at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1893. The manufacturer was the Thomas Stevens Company of Coventry, England. Stevengraphs are images created using a jacquard loom equipped with mechanically operated devices that weave intricate, three-dimensional patterns in silk. Coventry weaver Thomas Stevens, who invented the process in the mid-19th century, called the images "stevengraphs." This stevengraph has a companion piece, "Columbus Leaving Spain." View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05916
Subjects: Silk pictures; Stevengraph pure silk woven pictures; Silk pictures--Exhibitions; Decorative arts, Victorian; Stevens, Thomas, 1828-1888; Columbus, Christopher--Landfall
Places: Chicago (Illinois); Cook County (Illinois)