I’ve been waiting almost 10 years to see the quilt above. Seriously.
When I was still teaching I had a kid whose mother worked at Lark Books in Asheville. It was the early days of the VFG Label Resource, and I was telling her about that project when she mentioned a quilt made of vintage labels that was hanging in the lobby or stairwell of the Lark offices. But she seemed to think that the quilt had been removed. You know how it is when you see something everyday; after a while you stop noticing it.
She could see that I was excited to see the quilt, so she promised to track it down and then I could visit her at her office so I could see it. Well, the quilt really was gone, and she was never able to locate it.
Last month while visiting Kate Mathews of Folkwear Patterns, I happened to mention the quilt, as she used to be co-owner of Lark. She remembered it, but did not know what had happened to it. It belonged to a guy named Chris Kluge, whose family owned the label company that made the labels. She promised to track it down.
As it turned out, the quilt had been returned to Chris. A few weeks later she sent Chris’s email, and the rest is history. Here, in Chris’s own charming words, is the story behind this remarkable quilt:
“It was created in the latter 1970’s by my best friend’s mother…. full name Laura Margaret Sherrill Hobson (aka “Midge” and “Midget”, for her diminuitive size ) Midge Hobson was born near Asheville, NC and moved to New York City in the 40’s as an Arthur Murrey Dance Instructor… where she attempted to teach a semi-clumsy returning Navy veteran to dance…. He was hopeless as a dancer, and hopelessly in love (as was she) so they married… She spent most of the rest of her life in New Jersey, raising two boys with her husband, Russ Hobson Jr. (an inventor and successful entrepreneur. .a story unto himself for certain..) They retired back to NC (near Old Fort) in the early 70’s.
Midge Hobson was aware of my family’s history in the label business*, and, after showing her some old sample books (from 20’s and 30’s), she expressed an interest in using some for a quilt she was currently making. I happily gave her the books to peruse… and you see the result!! I was very surprised to receive the quilt after Mrs. Hobson’s death in the 80’s.
* The Label Business….. My paternal great grandfather was one of five brothers who, with their father, ran a narrow fabrics weaving mill in Krefeld, Germany (probably began in 1860’s or so) They wove jacquard design trim for corset borders, and other apparel and design-related markets…. This business was called Gebruder Kluge (“Kluge Brothers”)
Around the mid 1880s, Herr Papa Kluge sent four of his sons to establish new markets for their German manufactured goods… one to Sweden, one to Italy, one to United States, and one to Russia (and one Kluge stayed at home, wee-wee- etc… 
My great grandfather, Adolf Kluge, established German Artistic Weaving Company in New York City (somewhere around 32nd St.), at first only importing narrow fabrics woven in Germany.. .But, when tarrifs were put on same, he bought looms (again, in a loft around 32nd Street), to manufacture within the US. Family lore has a sheriff padlocking that location at one time(s) or another.
Adolf Kluge then bought riverside property in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey (from a black powder contractor to Dupont Powder Works… Smith Powder Works) With a water-driven turbine, he proceeded to build and expand on that site, eventually claiming to be “The World’s Largest Manufactuer of Woven Labels” (I have an old salescard that says so…. so it MUST be true, eh?)
Eventually over hundred looms were weaving narrow fabrics, coinciding with the booming “ready-to-wear” garment needs of new immigrants, and his business thrived. (Side note… One of Adolf’s Brothers, Emile, came over to help with the business…. Emile thought he could do better, so he split off from his Brother Adolf, and established his OWN US-based label company… “E.H.Kluge” of course, the brothers never spoke again…. (Emile’s company was big success, until crash in 1929 wiped him out.)
With the outbreak of German hostilities in Europe, German-Artistic Company thought it prudent to become Artistic Weaving Company. ( which it remained until the 1970’s.) Adolf Kluge died in 1920, leaving his label business to his sons, Albert and Willard. Albert bought his brother (my paternal grandfather) out in the early 30’s. Albert Kluge built a label mill in Pittsboro, North Carolina (“Chatham Mills”) and it was still cranking out labels into the mid 1990’s. When Albert died in 1957, my Father, Willard Kluge Jr, inherited the company. At that time the basic shuttle-style jacquard looms in use were not too different from looms of 100 years ago.
Loom technology changed dramatically. Highspeed broadlooms, running polyester warps and figure yarns, were converted to narrow-fabric capability by having electrically-heated wires cut and fuse. What had been used to weave broad goods could now crank out labels… AND, cause millions of people, myself among them, to cut out those nasty fused-edge neck labels
Which is a handy segueway back to those older labels Mrs. Hobson used for her magnificent quilt…. Being of such older vintage, they are mostly rayon and cotton (some might even be silk, which is what was used before Dupont invented Rayon.. in 20’s.) The German Artistic Weaving company that was begun over 100 years ago in a loft in NYC ended in mid 1990s… sold to another North Carolina- based label company, which went bankrupt within two years.
The evolution and brief history of woven labels in the US is typical of many industries….. from small, family-owned endeavors, building customers, expanding into new markets, consolidating with similar businesses…. and, as all labor-intensive business have, fleeing to cheaper labor markets….. first labels….. then shirts……. then computers… then… finance? Stay tuned!!
Interesting how Mrs. Hobson’s handsewn quilt has outlasted the businesses that inspired her marvelous efforts!”
What a story! My thanks to Chris for taking the time to write this all out and for sending photos. If you want to see what Chris is up to, visit his website, Chriskluge.com. He is a marionette maker, though I don’t see any on his site that look like him. As I hear it he bears a striking resemblence to George Clooney!
Tommorow: thoughts about vintage labels.
Comments:
Posted by pinky-a-gogo:
What a great story and wonderful quilt!
Posted by Jonathan:
Wonderful story and what a wonderful piece of domestic industrial folk art!
Posted by The Red Velvet Shoe:
I don’t have time to read the whole post right now, but will be back to do so. What an amazing quilt, it should be in the Smithsonian!
Posted by Couture Allure:
I am in love. This quilt is incredibly beautiful! Thank you so much for this great story, Lizzie.
Posted by Tina:
This is a beautiful quilt, I’ve never seen anything else like it!
Posted by Brenda:
Worth the wait is right Lizzie. This is such an inspiring story and the quilt is incredible. Bravo!
Posted by The Vintage Vortex:
How incredibly fabulous! Great reading and a great story!! I called my husband over to see as he loves quilts and he commented on how difficult if must have been to line up so many different size labels to make a perfect rectangle!! Amazing!
Posted by The Cosmic Cowgirl:
Ah! The elusive label quilt! So glad you discovered and shared its wonderful story!
Posted by Sarah:
What a remarkable quilt, and how wonderful that you managed to track it down! I agree with The Red Shoes that it deserves to be in a museum.
Chris Kluge supplies a fascinating story about the history and production of labels, and it was a pleasure to read.
Posted by Cathy Hammond:
What a fantastic piece of history! Thank you for sharing this great American story and the fabulous one-of-a-kind quilt.
Posted by Carrie:
What an amazing quilt–both a work of art and a piece of history! And what a wonderful story behind it (and the tale-spinner is rumored to look like George Cloooney? 😛 )
Thanks for sharing the results of your sleuthing efforts with us, Lizzie!
Posted by Mod Betty / Retro Roadmap:
How wonderful! I could sit and look at those labels for days. So glad you shared the history and story with us all!
Posted by Sue Barton:
Lizzie, this was such a fascinating read and what a treat to see pics of this quilt. Great story! Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
🙂 Sue
Posted by Susie Hurst:
What a fascinating quilt and story! Thank you so much for sharing this. I would love to see this quilt in person!:)
Posted by Melody Fortier/Tangerine Boutique:
That quilt is a historical treasure!! Thank you so much for sharing. I hope it does make it into a museum.
Posted by chris kluge:
I am very thankful for Lizzie tracking this fabulous creation of Mrs. Hobson’s down, and for allowing me to relate a little of the history behind the labels Mrs. Hobson so beautifully put to use!
( ,,and thx to Miss Lizzie for going along with the bit about George Clooney… 🙂 But all other parts of the story are TRUE… xx chris k
Posted by Jeff Haubrich:
Thanks for sharing, not only great photos, but a history of Artistic Weaving and some family history.
Posted by Woody Pumphrey:
Mrs.”H” was also a great jig-saw puzzle solver! The First thing she would do is hide the box, so she wouldn’t look at the picture. She never did the edge first, saying “that’s cheating!”. I have seen her do puzzles upside DOWN…it’s no wonder(to me) this Quilt is so Beautiful because she certainly was! 🙂
Posted by chris kluge:
Woody P… .you are RIGHT!! I forgot all about her puzzle capabilities… and, considering the 2 genius rascals she and Mr. H brought into the world….. well, she was definitely quite a human!
Posted by Lizzie:
I’ve really enjoyed everyone’s comments. Woddy, thanks for sharing Mrs. H’s extraordinary puzzle solving skills. It explains how she was able to sort out all those labels!
And a big thanks to Kate Mathews for putting this into motion!
Posted by fleur anglaise:
Wow – what a tactile piece of history! I want one!:)
Posted by Laura Stokes:
nice site
Posted by lady kingdom:
Very nice blog here …
Great post from you .
thanks
Posted by sara loughton:
That is the coolest quilt i’ve seen in awhile.
The Vintage Traveler 
Pingback: The Artistic Label « thevintagetraveler
Pingback: 1929 Jantzen Diving Girl Swimsuit « The Vintage Traveler
Pingback: Vintage Miscellany – December 9, 2012 | The Vintage Traveler
Great article! My contribution to the story is that my grandfather, Henry Scheer, worked for Artistic Weaving as their chief artist and lead designer from 1895 through 1945. My grandmother, Clara Haltenhof Scheer was Adolph Kluge’s personal secretary until she married Henry and she left the ranks of the employed to raise my mother and aunts near Patterson, NJ. We are collectors and are always interested in anything Artistic Weaving may have produced that my grandfather may have designed. Contact me at epccontrols@aol.com anytime.
LikeLike
Warren, thanks so much for posting. I can see why you collect these little woven pieces. Have you see this tumblr: http://thedesigncenter.tumblr.com/ Scroll down to see some great examples.
LikeLike
Hi Cousin Warren! Small world finding you here! Bette was showing us old family photos and asked me to Google these labels. ❤️ Thank you for posting the information. Bette was so happy reading your post.
LikeLike
I too worked at Artistic Identification Systems (as it was later named) 1987- 93. I had some wonderful years there as VP of Sales. Wonderful people and one of the best was Chris Kluge. Always had a great gift for weaving a story.
Bob Gorgone
LikeLike
What a wonderful story and a beautiful quilt. I had an uncle Bob Cornell and an aunt Ethel Herrick that used to work for Artistic Weaving. Thank you so much for sharing this awesome piece of history.
LikeLike
I have a roll of our company’s labels that I can only say is very old. The sticker from Artistic Weaving Company lists the address as 141-145 West 36th St. New York. I hope that helps add in the details to your history.
I wish we had a way to re-order these, as it is the only source I have for this old logo of ours!
Joe Whisler
J.B. Hinchman Inc.
Indianapolis
LikeLike
Pingback: Vintage Label Quilt, Part II | The Vintage Traveler
What a wonderful article– and those labels are familiar to me from some of my family heirlooms too. My contribution to this story is that I am the great-granddaughter of Adolf Kluge’s brother Emile. My grandmother Alexandra was Emil’s oldest daughter. I actually have a place-setting of silver (knife, fork spoon) that my mother just gave me, imprinted with A. Kluge stamped 1906. My husband and I were doing a bit of research because we figured that A. Kluge couldn’t have been my grandmother. Turns out it was probably Adolf. I also now live in North Carolina. I am currently a professor of German at Appalachian State in Boone: Alexandra Hellenbrand (hellenbranda@appstate.edu). Piecing together German-American stories on either side of the Atlantic, especially my family’s, is something that we love to do. And Google is a great help these days!
LikeLike
Alexandra, How nice of you to post! I know the Boone area quite well, as my brother and a niece attended App. You have an interesting family heritage.
LikeLike
My grandfather Cornelius De Ritter worked at Artistic Weaving Co. in Pompton Lakes. In 1936 he had to apply for a Social Security Card and he gave his place of employment as Artistic Weaving. He was a twister. He twisted the thread from a new spool onto one that was running out so the loom would not have to stop. Quite possibly he helped make some of the labels that are in the quilt. I have two bookmarks of his. One has the 23rd Psalm woven into it and the other has the Star Spangled Banner. The bookmarks were probably made when he worked for Warner Woven Label the company he retired from.
LikeLike
Pete, thanks so much for the comment, and for adding your grandfather’s story to the record of Artistic Weaving.
LikeLike
This is a great story! My mother worked as a label inspector for Artistic in Pompton Lakes in the 1970s. That area of town was known as Klugetowne, with streets named Willard, Albert, and Kluge.
LikeLike
That’s interesting that the streets were named for the Kluges!
LikeLike
My fiancé’s great grandfather (died circa 1946), was one of the Adolf Kluge’s top designers. We still have one of the labels of an Indian portrait of a business located in Flagstaff, AZ. His great grandfather’s name was Henry Scheer. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Just found three Christmas patches in my husbands grandmothers bible. Her husband worked for Artistic weaving in the early 30s. Love the colors. I am going to have them framed. Paul and Connie Olandt
LikeLike
Framing is a great idea. You are so lucky to have these!
LikeLike
Hi I am undertaking research into companies that produced woven cigarette cards. I believe GAW Co around 1910 wove a number of series of silk/satin cigarette cards for the American Tobacco Co. Do you have any information regarding their work in this area?
Thanks Adrian Slaney Dr UK
LikeLike
I worked at Chatham Mills/Artistic Identification systems for 27 years as a “Warper” in Pittsboro NC, until they closed the doors in 1996.
LikeLike
My father worked as a designer at Artistic Labels in Pompton Lakes in the sixties and seventies. He brought home labels they had made to commemorate events, local scenes, such as the dam on the property, and art which the recreated i guess to give away to customers. Its nice to see other people enjoying this interest. I created a group on facebook, called artistic labels, collectors, and plan on scanning in and posting some of these. I hope a few of you log on and share…
LikeLike
I don’t use Facebook, but your photos sound like a good fit for Instagram.
LikeLike
HI, great reading this, I worked at the factory in Holdrege NE, it had 3 other owners after it was sold. This March(2023) it will be 20 years since the doors closed. We are having a reunion on Saturday April 1 in Holdrege. Anyone who like to come is welcome. I have a facebook page called Artistic Woven Labels where details will be posted as the plans come together.
LikeLike
That sounds like a lot of fun! I hope you have a great turnout.
LikeLike
I worked at artistic identification systems inc. early 90’s I have tons of memories
LikeLike