Margaret C. Whiting

Margaret Whiting and Ellen Miller studied together at the New York Academy of Design, and in 1895, they wrote and illustrated Wildflowers of the Northeastern States. In 1896, they founded the Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework, adapting John Ruskin’s theory — “everyone to develop a manual skill whose excellence would find a market” — to Deerfield, Massachusetts, after discovering 18th century needlework in the town’s homes and museum. In their own words, “the designs showed true New England directness, often with a vigor and perception of decorative need which was remarkable.” The Deerfield Society of Blue and White Needlework flourished until 1926.

Margaret Christine Whiting (1860-1946). View this item in the Online Collection.

Details

Date1860–1946
PlaceDeerfield, Massachusetts
TopicClothing, Textile, Fashion, Costume
Art, Music, Literature, Crafts
EraNational Expansion and Reform, 1816–1860
Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861–1877
Rise of Industrial America, 1878–1899
Progressive Era, World War I, 1900–1928
Great Depression and World War II, 1929–1945
Counterculture, Civil Rights, and Cold War, 1946–1989