1857 Album Quilt – Love at First Sight

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I can't imagine what life must have been like in the 1850s. I keep thinking of Downton Abbey and how formal and proper everyone was when it came to courtship. I found the sweetest story online written by a family member about Laura and Alfred. It's only a few sentences but I think it speaks volumes about their love for each other. Remember, Laura was born in New York but her family moved to Wisconsin by the time she was 3 years old. I haven't figured out yet which of her family members remained in New York but that's where the love story begins.

Alfred worked for a publishing house was called "William Wood & Co." which was located in NYC. They published medical books. While he was there he met Laura at a party one night and shortly after that she returned to her home in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. It seems Alfred had fallen in love so he asked his boss if he could take some of the medical books out to her hometown and try to sell them to the doctors there. Luckily, the boss thought it was a great idea and let him go. He was one of the first door-to-door salesmen selling books! He did so well that he decided to ask Laura to marry him and come back to NY to live.

How sweet is that??? Laura married Alfred at the age of 17. Their wedding announcement appeared in "The Rockland County Journal".

Wedding Announcement 1

MARRIED AT
Nya -k, on the 24th inst., by Rev. I
N. Felch, Mr. Cornelius T. Van Dervoort,
of Paterson, N. J., to Miss Anna Rebecca
eldest daughter of tbe officeating Clergyman.
AT Beaver Dam, Wis., June 17, by the
Rev. J. J. A/itre, Alfred S. Griffiths, son ol
Rev. J. W. Griffiths of this village, to Laura
R. daughtei of A. Ackermau, Esq.. ol the
first named place.

1857 Quilt Block 11

Block 11

In honor of Worldwide Quilting Day I'm sharing the love story and one of the heart blocks from the 1857 Album Quilt. This block has tiny cross stitched letters - M. B.- added by the maker. There are two blocks made by members of the Brink family and several with the letter B for the initial of the last name so perhaps they were made by members of that family.

I'm at the lake this weekend and I'm sorry it took me so long to pull this together. I left the printhead for the printer back in Grand Rapids along with my notes on Laura and Alfred's meeting. Thank goodness for Facetime and a patient husband. He went to the studio, found what I needed and emailed me pictures of it so I could still share it tonight.

Have a great quilting weekend everyone!

The 1857 Album Quilt - Block 11

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