Friendship & Fundraising: The Story of American Signature Quilts

Signature quilts hold significant symbolic value, serving as both records of collaborative creativity and tangible documents that reflect the relationships between quilters and their communities. These quilts, as artifacts of these past networks, inspire a profound sense of interconnectedness that resonates today. In her presentation, Ryan will showcase images of eight quilts from the Alabama Department of Archives and History collection, ranging from the 1840s to the 2020s, to demonstrate the evolution of signature and friendship quilts in Alabama. Following the presentation, she will provide a brief overview of how to care for historic textiles.

Ryan Blocker has been with the Alabama Department of Archives and History for the past 16 years. She currently serves as the Museum Collections Coordinator, where she is responsible for the care and preservation of a diverse collection of artifacts. She is a past President of the Alabama Museums Association and was appointed by the…