Coming to Annapolis for Thursday, Dec. 13th Midnight Madness?  This year, there is a special event being held in conjunction with this annual holiday celebration. The Annapolis Tapestries: 18th Century Exhibit in the Historic Annapolis Museum, 99 Main Street, is the site of this special event. 

Open to those ages 6-99 years old, visitors to the Museum may participate at no charge. And no experience is needed! When completed, the stitched tapestries will become part of the Exhibit.  To date, over 750 stitchers from the United States and 17 foreign countries have made history through this project. Each stitcher signs the Stitchers Log which will digitized, so that visitors to future exhibits will be able to type their name and identify the tapestry panel they helped stitch.  This ‘Make History’ event is scheduled for 7:00-9:00 pm on Thursday, December 13^th, at the Museum located at 99 Main Street in Annapolis, MD.  The Museum and retail store will be open late that evening.

Annapolis is one of over 30 cities, towns and villages worldwide that have Heritage Tapestries. These tapestries promote and preserve the local history with images of the people, places, objects and events that contributed to the development of the city, town or village, yet are less well known.  Heritage Tapestries typically are found in Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland and even New Zealand and South Africa.

Why just shop in Annapolis during Midnight Madness on Dec. 13th? You can make history, too!

Stitchers at the December 1, 2012 Make History’ Event

Add your stitches to one of the individual panels of this historic tapestry project, sign the stitchers log…and you become part of the permanent exhibit!  And, you will be making history.  To date, we’ve had over 750 stitchers as old as 98 years young from the U.S. and 17 foreign countries.

Children 6 years and older can join the fun and make history, too!  We’ve had whole families from children to grandparents stitch.  There is no charge for this activity and you don’t need to know how to needlepoint!  Our expert stitching volunteers will guide you.

Join us from 7:00- 9:00 pm at the Historic Annapolis Museum…and make history!

19th Century individual tapestry: Midshipman Tomato Brand Label

The United States Naval Academy community of midshipmen, faculty, staff and employees began the Annapolis Tapetries: USNA Project with the 2012-2013 academic year.                              

Kathy Pendley, Annapolis Tapestries volunteer, is the Project Coordinator. This project is open for stitching only by USNA personnel.

The 19th century individual tapestry panel being stitched on the USNA campus is the Midshipman brand Tomato Can Label.  Here is some background information this history and significance of this item to the history of the City of Annapolis:

The Story Behind The Image: The Midshipman Brand Tomato Can Label

The Annapolis Canning and Packing Company dates from 1903, when the company was incorporated by seven male residents of Annapolis: five businessmen in construction or building supply companies; one real estate agent; and the seventh, an attorney and member of the House of  Delegates. The Company may have had its plant on West Street in the Parole neighborhood.

The company’s choice of the brand name and images shown on this label expresses the pride of Annapolis residents in the United States Navy (which had recently led the country to victory over Spain); the  United States Naval Academy (then being completely rebuilt to the Beaux Arts design of architect Ernest Flagg); and the midshipmen themselves, trained here to command the greatest naval fleet.

Pictured on the label:  (1) A midshipman in uniform of the period. (2)Three ships of America’s Golden Age of sea power.   These vessels resemble the sixteen steam battleships of the  egendary Great White Fleet, sent around the world in 1907–09.

Midshipman Brand tomatoes were almost certainly grown in Anne Arundel County and shipped by train and ship across the United States  and, possibly, abroad…carrying the mystique of the Naval Academy  and the name of Annapolis to households far and wide.

A product of a canning industry with roots in post-Civil War Annapolis, Annapolis Canning and Packing Company built on the experience of  local men and women involved for more than thirty years in the processing of oysters, vegetables, and fruits. The extensive truck farms of Anne Arundel County supplied ample amounts of tomatoes and other vegetables for commercial canning as well as for sale in the produce markets of Washington, Baltimore and beyond.

Add your stitches to one of the individual panels of this historic tapestry project, sign the stitchers log…and you become part of the permanent exhibit!  And, you will be making history.  To date, we’ve had over 550 stitchers as old as 98 years old from the U.S. and 13 foreign countries.

Children 6 years and older can join the fun and make history, too!  We’ve had whole families from children to grandparents stitch.  There is no charge for this activity and you don’t need to know how to needlepoint!  Our expert stitching volunteers will guide you.

Join us from 1:30 to 4:30 pm at the Historic Annapolis Museum…and make history!

My recent research has identified more than 30 heritage tapestries including one in South Africa and another portraying the history of Quakers  and all go back to the Bayeux Tapestry, an 85 yard embroidered panel created to preserve the history of the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

While the Annapolis Tapestries were inspired by a visit to Annapolis Royal in Nova Scotia, sister city to Annapolis, MD, these are just two of the unique heritage tapestries.  Most are either embroidered or done in needlepoint and are as unique as the city, town or village itself.

In the last year or so, two countries have begun work creating heritage tapestries to preserve and promote their country’s history: New Zealand and Scotland!

Information about the varied heritage tapestries I have discovered will be listed here soon.

-Remy Agee, Annapolis Tapestries Project Chair and President, Board of Trustees of Annapolis Tapestries, Inc.

Join us for special events  at the exhibit in celebration of Maryland Day!  These activities are offered to museum visitors at no charge on Saturday and Sunday, March 24th and 25th.

…Make History! 

We’ve had over 330 stitchers from the U.S. and around the world.  Here’s your chance to make history, too!

Come to the Historic Annapolis Museum for this special Community Stitching Event from 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday, March 24th and 11 am to 4 pm on Sunday, March 25th.  No experience necessary, as our volunteers will guide you.  Must be between the ages of 6 and 99 years old.

Add your stitches to one of our 18th and 19th century original artwork tapestry canvases; sign your name in the Stitchers Log; and become a part of this historic project!  The Stitchers log will become part of the permanent exhibit of the Annapolis Tapestries Project.

…See Our Work-in-Progress

Watch as our expert stitchers work on one of the medium-sized 18th century tapestry panels, the Sparrows Seal, and demonstrate needlepoint techniques used on all of the tapestries in the Exhibit.  Needlepoint is experiencing a revival in the craft and needlework arena.  Learn first hand how our stitchers create the beautiful tapestry panels.

…Discover Visual Storytelling and the City’s Heritage Tapestry

Turning words into pictures, cities and towns around the world create heritage tapestries that visually tell the story of, and preserve, local history. Chat with members of the Historians Work Group who selected well-known and many lesser-known, yet significant, people, places and events that shaped the City over three centuries from 1708-2008 and portrayed on the tapestry panels.

For further information, contact us at info@annapolistapestries.com.

Acknowledgement panel, 18th Century Large Tapestry stitchers

Thank you to Mary Ann Brown for creating the acknowledgement panel of the numerous people who helped stitch the large 18th Century tapestry.  This handcrafted calligraphy piece (pictured here) was hand sewn to the back of the large tapestry prior to its display at the Historic Annapolis Museum in February 2012.  This panel will remain a permanent part of the large tapestry.

Happy Holidays!

Special Note: Our Historic Annapolis Museum exhibit of the Annapolis Tapestries: 18th Century will be ending at the Museum Dec. 31, 2012.  We will post future exhibit locations and Make History community events throughout 2013 on this site.  

Our volunteer stitchers unfortunately are not available to demonstrate needlepoint stitching on the Maryland State Seal, one of the individual tapestry panels from the 18th Century phase of the Project at the Exhibit this coming weekend.  We apologize for not having this opportunity for visitors to the Museum Exhibit. 

When our stitching volunteers are onsite, an 18″x24″ piece will be used to demonstrate the needlepoint work completed by the expert needlepoint stitchers on the 18th Century large and small tapestry panels on display at the exhibit now and also on the 19th Century large tapestry panel currently being stitched offsite.

This seal first appeared in 1765 on the title page of the Reverend Thomas Bacon’s compilation of the Laws of Maryland.  Carved on wood block by Thomas Sparrow, ward and employee of the Annapolis printer, Jonas Green, the Sparrow seal bears the latin motto, “Crescite et Multiplicamini” which means “Increase  and Multiply”.

 Our volunteer stitchers at the exhibit include:

• Katie Williams, Community Stitching Coordinator
  
• Sheryn Blocher
• Doris Muller-Burton
  
• Kathy  Pendley
• Canby Robertson
• Jean Russo
• Vera Torrence
• Lissa Williamson

Remy Agee, Project Chair and President of the Board of Trustees of Annapolis Tapestries, Inc.,   will not be at the Exhibit this weekend. When she is onsite, she is pleased to discuss this historic project; respond to questions;  and help visitors discover Annapolis history through visual storytelling.

That is the first time the public will be able to see the completed 18th century Annapolis Tapestries in person!  This exhibit lets visitors read about the

•     inspiration for the Tapestries
•     Historians Work Group
•     image selection and vetting process
•     artist drawing and design process
•     stitching process

On display will be the large (3 feet x 6.5 feet) tapestry showing the City Dock development and 44  significant elements during the first one hundred years since the City’s charter was granted – 1708-1807 – as well as six small (10″ x12″) and one medium (18″ x 24″) individual tapestry panels that compliment the large one as follows…

• Maryland’s Four Signers 1774                   

• The Annapolis Flag

• Chalmers Shilling 1783

• Nancy Hallam   1771

• William Paca House Garden 1765-1780

• Tuesday Club Illustration 1749

• Death Head Stamp 1765

• Sands House 1771

For a description, and photograph, of the small and medium  tapestry panels that will be on display, click here.

On weekend afternoons, exhibit visitors will be able to see one of our expert volunteers MAKE HISTORY by stitching a small, 18th century tapestry panel, Sparrows Seal 1765.

This seal first appeared in 1765 on the title page of the Reverand Thomas Bacon’s compilation of the Laws of Maryland.  Carved on wood block by Thomas Sparrow, ward and employee of the Annapolis printer, Jonas Green, the Sparrow seal bear the latin motto, “Crescite et Multiplicamini” which means “Increase and Multiply”.