Unveiling Quilt Codes: Secrets of the Underground Railroad

On Tuesday, January 7 at 7:00 pm, the Zoom program Pre-Civil War Quilts: The Secret Codes to Freedom on the Underground Railroad will be hosted by the Friends of Case Memorial Library. 

During this presentation, Connie Martin, a long-standing expert on the quilts of the Antebellum period, will reveal the hidden patterns that helped enslaved people escape through the Underground Railroad. Delving into the secret messages woven into these colorful, beautifully hand-crafted works, she will explore their different meanings and interpretations. For example, an escaped person on the run could “read” the shapes and motifs sewn into a design, and learn of any immediate dangers and where they must go next. Also, as part of her talk, Ms. Martin will provide illustrations of Pre-Civil War quilts; replicas of actual quilts that enslaved persons used on their journey will be displayed and discussed. 

Ms. Martin explains, “I will share codes in the quilts that signify routes that ancestors, or quilter’s descendants, may have taken to escape to freedom in Canada. I will also explore how African American slaves used special hidden stitching techniques to communicate during this pivotal time in history.”  Furthermore, Ms. Martin imbues this enriching presentation with her own mother’s legacy that she interweaves with the stories she relates. 

Today, many of us still love to wrap up in a quilt on a cold New England winter night in order to find comfort. But after this compelling presentation, we will also appreciate the added significance that Ms. Martin has brought to the iconic quilt – an everyday household item that had often been considered commonplace but that was used so ingeniously in the era before the war between the states.

Registration is required. Register at https://casememoriallibrary.org or call 203-891-2170. The program link will be sent the afternoon of January 7.