Ice Skating & Famous People…

 

WINTER is a time for the snowy & cold outdoor activities & sports. ICE SKATING is one great option! Whether you have actually tried it or not, you may have a connection through a love of the sport of ice hockey, figure skating or speed skating. Or perhaps it’s just one of those romantic, idealistic activities that you've always dreamt of doing – someday.

The Ice Is Thin, It Signifies How Soon Youth Fades & Pleasures Die
James & Mercedes Hutchinson

Ice Skating has made an appearance in historic & contemporary fiber art too. James & Mercedes designed a number of hooked rugs which captured ice skating in a number of different scenes & vignettes. 

In this first rug, the Hutchinsons did a great job of expressing motion & activity. You can almost hear the skaters’ blades cutting through the ice, the dog barking & the children laughing with delight! It’s also interesting the way the skates are skimming over the upper edges of the words – I love that effect. It’s almost as if they are skating the words into the rug! This rug is filled with fun & frolic, but the poignant message on LIFE brings you back to reality – a Hutchinson trademark! 

Fenimore Art Museum

In 20I7, I had the privilege to go & see this rug in person at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York. It was one of many fabulous pieces in their exhibit titled: The Art of Figure Skating, Through the Ages – The Dick Button Collection. 

Dick said, “Everything in our world changes.” He had this to say about the rug's message, “It signifies how quickly life changes for everybody.” And finally, he said, “It’s one of my FAVORITE PIECES!” Listen to this  short Facebook video: click here     

Richard Totten Button, better known as Dick Button, just passed away on January 30^th, at age 95. A trailblazer in the skating world, he introduced & performed innovative moves & made sport’s history…

•  2-time Olympic gold medalist
•  5-time world champion figure skater
•  7 U.S. Senior titles
•  U.S. Junior & Novice titles
•  3 North American Championships
•  Only American to win the European title
•  1st skater to land a double axel
•  1st skater to land a triple jump (the triple loop)
•  1st male skater to perform the camel spin & the inventor of the flying camel spin
•  1st American World Champion
•  1st & only American back-to-back Olympic Gold Medalist in figure skating
•  1st & only male skater to hold a National, North American, European, Olympic & World title at the same time
•  Youngest man to win an Olympic Gold Medal in figure skating.
• In 1976, he was inducted into both the U.S. & World Figure Skating Hall of Fame.

 

After the Olympics, he toured with Holiday on Ice & Ice Capades. For decades, he commentated & hosted skating events on TV. Dick is credited for developing professional figure skating competitions, which allowed hundreds of skaters to make a living from their sport. As a skating commentator, he won an Emmy Award. He judged Skating with the Stars & Battle of the Blades, acted in movies & TV programs with Mickey Rooney, Tony Curtis, Gene Kelly & Robert Goulet, starred in touring stage productions. In 2000, Dick fractured his skull & developed multiple concussions & blood clots after a fall while skating – he survived this serious head & brain injury. Dick even wrote a book titled: Push Dick's Button. WOW! What a life!

In 2019, 556 pieces from Dick Button’s skating collection, many of which had been displayed in the Fenimore exhibit, went up for sale at Brunk’s Premier Auction in Asheville, North Carolina. Above are just a couple examples of auction items.

The Hutchinson The Ice Is Thin rug was estimated to sell for $1,000-$2,000. Due to its charm, Americana theme, condition & especially it’s provenance – part of the Dick Button collection, it sold for over $8,000. The rug is now in the collection of the Fenimore Art Museum. (Always check to see if the rug is on exhibit, don’t assume it is.)

All Airy Grace They Skim the Dell, Where In The Summer Flowers Dwell
James & Mercedes Hutchinson

Here we have an elegant lady in an ermine fur trimmed coat being led by a dapper gentleman wearing a top hat, sporting a typical Hutchinson mustache. The charming ice skating scene would be perfect to open any Rom-Com or Hallmark movie, LOL! So suave & debonaire! The images, as well as the inscribed wording, convey the winter scene, but also take you back to memories of summer – by adding the beautiful pink dogwood blossoms & green leaves that surround the couple, along with the other part of the inscribed message.

As with the majority of Hutchinson rugs, they either make you laugh, think or pose a question! (For a little more info on this particular rug & it’s one time owner Betsey Marie Cushing Roosevelt Whitney, check out my 1-31-22 blog post titled: February –Love is in the Air)

Airy Grace They Skim in the Dell, Where in the Summer Flowers Dwell

While a photo of this rug, or the rug itself, has not yet been discovered, it is believed that this is a different rug than the one above. Why? The 1946 auction catalogue, where it was listed for sale, describes the “floral sprays at the corners” – instead of flowers throughout the background. Some of the colors are also different. Finally, a few of the words in the rug have been changed – “all” has been left off & “in” had been added. The Hutchinsons are known to have done a few “rug repeats” of their designs or themes. But for our purposes today – I’m mentioning them both because they feature ice skaters.

Ermine or Short-tailed Weasel

In a number of the Hutchinson rugs, the ladies wore Ermine fur, so here is more info…. Royalty wore ermine because it was considered a symbol of purity due to the white fur of the ermine with its black tip, representing the idea that the animal would rather die than soil its white coat. This associated it with concepts like moral integrity & high status. It was a prestigious choice for royal & upper-class garments in the Middle Ages & Renaissance. Wearing ermine was also a way to showcase wealth & power as it was a very expensive fur to acquire. If you were not a member of royalty or the upper class, you could find recreations of the look, at working man’s wages.

Children Will Play, Four Seasons Round
James & Mercedes Hutchinson

The left side of this rug represents the Winter season. Old Man Winter is blowing a blast of frigid air over a group of ice skating children playing Crack the Whip. They hold hands, as the leader changes direction & speed, which causes some to fall & others to fly off in different directions. An older couple skates around the chaos, with a concerned expression on their faces.

Children’s Christmas Party Rug
James & Mercedes Hutchinson

The First Day of School

James & Mercedes Hutchinson

The 4^th of July, All Had a Good Time

James & Mercedes Hutchinson

The Children Will Play rug is similar to the 3 rugs above, filled with children, that are in the Shelburne Museum collection in Vermont. The bottom 2 rugs were once in the collection of Hollywood movie stars Fred MacMurray (My 3 Sons) & June Haver. The Hutchinson rugs that are filled with children are rare & coveted. I added these 3 to this story for anyone who is not familiar with them, & only familiar with the more humorous Hutchinson rugs.

Mark & Susan Laracy

The Children Will Play rug was once owned by the Moore family of Litchfield County, Connecticut possibly from the 1946 to 1998. In the 1998 Moore estate auction, Mark & Susan Laracy purchased the rug.

Mark is the 1981 founder of Parfums de Coeur which manufactured, marketed & distributed perfumes, body fragrances, lotions, personal care products & other toiletry preparations in the U.S. Mark was the brainchild of designer imposter fragrances. Parfums de Coeur believed people wanted to smell good but couldn’t afford designer perfumes. Designer imposter scents, smelling just like the originals, were developed & sold in national discount stores like Kmart, Sears, Wal-Mart & drug stores, with bold marketing plans, & affordable prices. For example, if you liked Georgio Cologne, it would set you back $48, but Parfums de Coeur’s Primo only costed $8. The knockoff scents had strikingly similar names to their originals, along with similar packaging, like Obsession & imitation Ecstasy, Vanderbilt & imitation Fairchild, Halston & imitation Hampton. Besides developing the imposter fragrances, Parfums de Coeur also scooped up other companies like Prince Matchabelli, which was making the popular Wind Song. In 1996, the company was making $95 million & in 1999 making $120 million a year in sales from imposter fragrances. In 2015, the company’s name changed to PDC Brands to improve the company’s position in mass retail & boost sales. This soon made them a worldwide brand. Perhaps you wore one of his perfume products over the years… it wouldn’t be unusual, since they dominated the market!

In his professional life, Mark was all about copies, imitations & reproductions – at the cheapest retail price. In his personal life, it was the complete opposite. In 1982, Mark & his wife Susan bought their first antique & plunged into the Americana world. Over the next 25 years, they started collecting intensely. Why? When asked, Mark said “When you are 40, you want to convey an image of stability & having had ancestors, even if you come from nowhere, Americana provides that.” The couple attended top auctions, sales, antique fairs & worked with well-respected antique dealers. The original American furniture & folk art that they collected found a special place in their Georgian colonial house in New Canaan, Connecticut.

An Americana expert, author & educator, Elisabeth Donaghy Garrett, made this comment about the Laracy collection & makes special mention of their Hutchinson rug:

“It is an exceptional collection in terms of provenance, outstanding form, condition, outline & color, but the theme that popped out at me is love, or affection, which comes through pictorially. There are pieces with hearts & courting couples on textiles & plaques. There’s a playfulness that carries through.”

“One hooked rug shows 34 children jumping rope, skating, fishing & dancing around a maypole, with a banner reading Children will play, four seasons round.”

Mark said this about their collection “Our approach was to focus on the finest examples we could find across a number of categories. We never once thought of these outlays as investments, but bought because we loved & fiercely coveted.” – Again, confirming his personal love & profound need for “originals” not mass-produced copies – in his personal life.

Provenance seems to have been particularly important to Mark & Susan, which is often important & a deciding factor to other notable collectors, when it comes to buying an antique. A number of the Laracy’s pieces were once owned by Bertram K & Nina Fletcher Little the well-known Massachusetts couple whose collection had been researched extensively, exhibited & published. Perhaps you have visited their one-time summer home…. Cogswell’s Grant, part of the Historic NewEngland collection of homes (many of which are filled with hooked rugs).

 

In 2007, Mark & Susan, decided to downsize. They sold their New Canaan, Connecticut home & auctioned 225 pieces of their collection, as they downsized & moved into Manhattan. The sale brought over $7 million, exceeding expectations. I’m still unsure of this rug’s current owner. I know it’s not the Shelburne Museum or the Fenimore Art Museum.

Pleasures of Childhood: Red Rover, Skipping Rope, Skating, Blindman’s Bluff
James & Mercedes Hutchinson

This rug is similar to the Children Will Play rug; in that it shows groups of children performing activities. In the bottom left, you can see the word “Skating” along with 4 children dressed in winter clothing (scarfs, hats, sweaters & mittens) & they are having a grand time ice skating. Except for the 5^th child, who has fallen on the ice.

While most of the Hutchinson rugs with groups of children are owned by the Shelburne Museum in Vermont, the owner of this rug has yet to be discovered.

The Hutchinson rugs with large groups of children are highly coveted. I never put away my detective hat, the search will continue!

Central Park in Winter
James & Mercedes Hutchinson

 

James & Mercedes lived in Brooklyn, New York, so skating in Central Park would be something quite familiar to them. While we only have the black & white photo from the auction catalogue, where it originally sold in 1941, & a short rug description from that same catalogue: An unhappy looking young lady in a toboggan escorted by a gentleman in blue, on skates. If she is indeed unhappy, is it from the cold weather or a bad date? She certainly is all decked out in an ermine fur collar, muff & hat. Again, holly is used in this rug, as in the Thin Ice rug. I like the pattern in his blowing scarf, don’t you?

 

(If you’re fond of sledding themes in hooked rugs, there are a group of Hutchinson rugs which feature that winter activity too. Just check out our book. It's interesting & inspiring!)

I Love The Changing Seasons
James & Mercedes Hutchinson

This Hutchinson rug depicts all 4 seasons in vignettes. Winter, in the bottom left corner. There are 3 pine trees in the background. The auction catalogue says that it’s a family ice skating, but if you look closely, you may disagree. The lady has an alarming expression on her face & appears to be skating away from the gentleman on her left. He looks like he is making an unwelcome move on her. While another gentleman is skating into the scene from her right, perhaps, coming to her rescue. So, I’m not getting the family vibe! Not to mention this is one of the skating rugs without children in the scene!

 

The following Hutchinson rugs feature ice skating, unfortunately we still haven’t uncovered either a photo of the rug or the rug itself. (Research & discovery continues, as mentioned above.) All of the following rugs are inscribed with the words of their titles, although I’m unsure about the last one…

Ø A Winter’s Pastime – A young man on skates pushing a sled in which is seated a young woman in ermine-trimmed coat, a pair of lovers & 2 children skating in the background above.

Ø An Evening of Romance – A skating party rug depicting a man & woman at full length, ice skating beneath a star-filled sky.

Ø Jingle Bells – A Christmas Holiday rug with a husband & wife at the lower right, greeting guests arriving in a sleigh; in the background children sledding & skating.

Ø The More The Merrier – Depicting a group of happy children in colorful skating costumes.

Ø Warm Hearts Don’t Feel The Cold – Two youthful lovers in brown & magenta costume, skating while Cupid hovers above them.

Ø When Hearts Are Young, Cold Winter Does Not Matter – Two youthful couples skating, in brown, celadon green & blue costume on an oyster white field.

Ø Winter Sports Rug – Delineated with skaters & a sleighing party with dog, in gay colors on a variegated oyster white ground. (Not sure if there are any words inscribed in this rug.)

If you live in a place that is cold & snowy in the winter, perhaps you might enjoy ice skating this winter. It’s one of my fond childhood memories. One Christmas, my Dad brought home ice skates for us, from Sears. We enjoyed many days & nights ice skating on the big & little ponds of Painesville’s Recreation Park, along with the bonfires. A couple of times, Dad even flooded the yard, to make our own ice skating rink. Afterward, Mom always had hot chocolate & fresh baked cookies. Fun times!

With the recent passing of Dick Button, I thought it would be a good time to pay tribute to him & his contributions to our country. As a collector, I’d like to thank him for taking care of so many wonderful treasures for so many years!

Well, the Hutchinsons have done it again! They took a theme – Ice Skating & they ran with it. It’s just so Americana! Yet each rug has a bit of a different twist, making it unique & special. But they all have that common SWOOSH of the skates gliding on the ice – movement is key in the Hutch rugs!

 

Enjoy your winter! It’s a good time to create art, read, & rejuvenate!

 Kathy

 «  The items in blue can be clicked on for more info.

 «  For more info on the Huchinsons & their hooked rugs, you can order our book in my Etsy Shop.

Outlaw Jesse James & Heiress Millicent Rogers....

At the time the Rug Hooking Traditions with James & Mercedes Hutchinson book was published, we knew about this Jesse James themed rug, but we didn’t have a photo of it. In 2022, not only did a photo become available but the quirky rug itself became available, as well as the story about where the rug had been & who had owned it. I spent considerable time researching that owner & contacting her descendants/museum. Then I traveled the country giving presentations & sharing this unique hooked rug & wonderful story! Now I’m sharing it here on my blog.

Let’s start from the beginning with the Outlaw...

 
Jesse Woodson James 

1847 –  1882

American outlaw; bank, stagecoach & train robber; guerrilla & gang leader. Born & died in Missouri.

The Jesse James photo is from the late 1870s, so he was in his 20s. In life, he gained national fame & even popular sympathy—despite the brutality of his crimes. After death, he became a legendary figure of the Wild West.

 

After serving in the Civil War, brothers Jesse & Frank James, joined by 8 other men, began their outlaw career by robbing a bank in Liberty, Missouri, on February 13, 1866. The James gang was formed & they robbed banks from Iowa to Alabama & Texas, & then began holding up trains in 1873. Soon, they preyed on stagecoaches, stores, & individuals too.

A bounty on Jesse’s head triggered his demise. Frank then turned himself in, was tried in court & was found innocent & lived out his life in Missouri.

A Slice of Americana…

 

This 49” x 34” Hutchinson rug has the American outlaw Jesse James between a pair of pistols & set of bludgeons (billy clubs/night sticks), tools required in his criminal career. Jesse wears the dark mask of a robber. He has a typical mustache, given to both gentlemen & villains in Hutchinson rugs. Looking at the real-life photo of Jesse, the Hutchinsons captured his image perfectly in both design & technique.

This piece, like a number of Hutchinson rugs, has a long inscription:

A KINDLY MAN WAS JESSIE JAMES AND THOUGHTFUL OF THE POOR,

HE’D STEAL A SHIRT FROM YOUR BACK TO HELP A MAN NEXT DOOR.

I DON’T BELIEVE IN SINFUL WAYS OR TO DIE UNTIL ONES SHRIVEN (absolved/acquitted), 

BUT A MAN LIKE MR JAMES DESERVES SOME LITTLE SPOT IN HEAVEN.

Spelling/punctuation is often precarious in Hutchinson inscriptions. Note Jessie & Belive are misspelled. He’d is missing an apostrophe. (Contractions are often missing apostrophes.) However, the hooking of the letters is done well & they're clear & easy to read. The last sentence suggests “Mr James Deserves Some Little Spot In Heaven” - definitely lends itself to a Robin Hood inference. I’m not sure why the flowers were placed within the rug’s inscription—perhaps with a funeral in mind?

Overall, this 85 year old hooked rug is a wonderful example of the Hutchinson’s design skills, sense of humor, experience with techniques & undeniable uniqueness! A great piece of Americana! Plus the rug is in “almost-like-new condition” - which is amazing!

James & Mercedes Hutchinson

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rug's former owner…. the Heiress...

As famous as Jesse James was, the previous owner of this rug was equally famous, but in a much more elegant way, & she came about her money the old fashioned way….she inherited it!

 Mary Millicent Abigail Rogers

1902 – 1953

This stunning lady was a socialite, fashion icon, jewelry designer & art collector, as well as a philanthropist & advocate. Millicent Rogers was the granddaughter of Standard Oil tycoon Henry Huttleston Rogers, & an heiress to his wealth.

 

 

Henry Huttleston Rogers joined Standard Oil in the early 1870s with founder John D Rockefeller. (The Rockefeller family is also known for collecting Hutchinson rugs.) With Henry’s knowledge & background in the oil business, Henry soon took a lead role & grew the company. His  roles included VP, Chairman of the Operating Committee & partner. By 1881, three men were running Standard Oil—founders JD & William Rockefeller, & HH Rogers. Henry soon expanded the company's interests into copper, natural gas, rail roads & more. Their fortunes grew along with it!

 

The Rogers family were cousins to President Franklin Roosevelt. After 1890, Henry became a prominent philanthropist, as well as a friend & supporter of Mark Twain & Booker T. Washington.

Henry Jr, Millicent’s father, & HH Roger’s only son had 4 sisters, but one died at the young age of 17. In. 1909, when their father died, they inherited $350 million—today that would be about $12 billion. Millicent only had 1 brother to share her inheritance.

So who was Millicent….

Millicent was a pioneer in freedom of style—to create rather than follow the dictates of fashion. A trademark throughout her life & audacious in her time.

 

Nearly a quarter of the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (titled:   High Style: Masterworks)—are Millicent’s clothing & accessories. She is still credited today as an influence on major fashion designers & there are many. She is one of the original INFLUENCERS!

 

She was an early supporter & enthusiast of Southwestern-style art and jewelry, & is often credited for its reaching a national & international audience— especially for the popularity in turquoise & silver jewelry. Later in life, she became an activist, & was among the first celebrities to champion the cause of Native American Civil Rights.

Mansion, Estate, Chateau, Palazzo….

At one time, she or her family had homes in Paris, a magnificent palazzo on the Grand Canal in Venice, an Austrian Ski Chalet, New York City townhouse at 26 E 57th St, New York City apartment on 68th St, Tuxedo Park estate outside NYC, Fairhaven Mansion in Massachusetts, Turtle Walk Ranch in Taos, New Mexico, a Virginia estate & a Jamaican get-away called Wharf House on Montego Bay. They also had houses on Long Island & the Hamptons, one was Black Point at the intersection of Gin Ln & Old Town Rd & a hunting escape called the “Port of Missing Men” – a popular place with her father, brother & their Wall Street buddies. During Prohibition – it was a liquor drop-off point.  

These homes were filled with paintings, by artists like Degas, Renoir, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Monet & Manet, just to mention a few.

Port of Missing Men—Exterior & Bedroom with hooked rugs on floor.

Romance… 

 Millicent had a very interesting life, but unfortunately, she had a tumultuous love life! While single, she attended social events with & was a favorite dance partner of Prince Edward the Duke of Wales. At the time, there was talk that Millicent might marry the future king, but it was Millicent that declined. But as we now know, he recovered & in 1936, he abdicated his throne for Wallace Simpson. Millicent also dated Italian & Russian royalty.

  

Millicent married 3 times. In January 1924, at 21, she eloped with #1) Austrian Count Ludwig von Salm-Hoogstraeten. In a New York courtroom, she married the professional tennis player & an aspiring film actor. In 1924, the couple had a son—Peter. They were divorced in 1927. That same year, in the Roman Catholic Church of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus & Mary rectory in Southampton, Long Island, she married #2) Argentine Aristocrat Arturo Peralta-Ramos. A man with distinguished ancestors & son of a wealthy Bueno Aires newspaper family. Arturo & Millicent had two children together: Arturo Jr. & Paul. Arturo & Millicent were divorced in 1935. In 1936, Millicent married her third husband in Vienna, #3) American Stockbroker Ronald Balcom. He was one of America‘s top amateur downhill skiers, & an all-around athlete in golf, tennis & fishing, as well as a Naval Officer in WWII. They had no children & were divorced in 1941.

 

Millicent had many Hollywood friends: Gary Cooper & his wife Rocky, Noel Coward, Claudette Colbert, Henry Fonda & Janet Gaynor - to mention a few. After her marriages ended, she moved to Hollywood. There was a romantic relationship with Clark Gable which she thought would lead to marriage, but he jilted her. Then came Commander Ian Fleming – author of 007 James Bond novels. In addition to romance, she influenced his writing. For example, he admired her gunmetal cigarette case & he made it the model for the one James Bond would carry. There were a number of other romances, but no more marriages.

An Artist & Influencer…

 

Beside designing & making jewelry, like this moonstone & silver necklace & the pieces from her 1947-53 catalog in these photos, Millicent also designed & made needlepoint rugs – which caught the eye of interior decorators. One of which remarked “if she had not had money, she might have become a serious artist.”   

 

Earlier I mentioned that a quarter of the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at the MET—are Millicent’s clothing & accessories. Over the years, she worked with many designers to create her unique or trademark look. Designers like: Diana Vreeland, Elsie Schiaparelli, Coco Chanel, Van Day Truex, Charles James & others.

As an artist, Millicent was one of the original INFLUENCERS, whether it be in fashion, art, jewelry, décor, collecting, etc. The pink/black dress photo (from MET collection) is a great example of her artistic vision. Be sure to read the info about the dress being designed to match her Claremont Manor period furniture. ­

 

But when she couldn’t find a designer, to create her vision, that didn’t stop her, she created the look herself. In this photo, Millicent is dyeing fabric, in her Turtle Walk kitchen in Taos, NM.

Back to the Rug… What’s the story?.....

As I mentioned, Millicent was an artist & influencer. She had the money to buy whatever she desired. She didn’t follow other people’s trends, she started trends.

 

Parke Bernet Galleries Auction

In October 1940, this Jesse James rug came up for auction at Parke-Bernet Galleries—a well respected New York City auction house. Millicent had also just purchased her Claremont Manor that same year. It was a Tidewater estate on the southern shore of the James River in Surry, Virginia, just 30 miles southeast of Richmond.

It’s this 1750 home that I believe, Millicent specifically purchased the Jesse James rug for. In research, documents say that Millicent would often pop into New York City & shop the auctions – for herself & friends. Purchases often included art & home décor. Starting in 1940, she meticulously redecorated Claremont Manor. (Restorations were done by Architect William Bottomley, who also worked on Colonial Williamsburg.)

 A Claremont Manor reviewer wrote “Everywhere the collector’s hand is in evidence, deliberate, distinguished, sure, the house reflects the worldliness, the eclectic taste of its much-traveled owner.”

Per the info in the photos of the pink & black dress (above), you will have noted that she worked with the designer to meticulously create an 1830s style fashion to complement her Biedermeier furniture (1815-48) in her Claremont Manor home. This kind of attention to detail is beyond the scope of most people. But it's an amazing example of her extraordinary level of dedication in selecting just the right things—whether it be in her own fashion, home décor/art or even in helping friends & family to do the same.

 Above, Claremont Manor exterior & interior photos. Interior photos are from when Millicent was owner. She liked to combine or mix décor—formal vs informal. Her Taos Turtle Walk house, of which there are many photos, is a great example.

Why buy this rug?...

So why did Millicent Rogers purchase this Jesse James themed hooked rug? We know that the Rogers family owned other hooked rugs, over the years. I showed you one example—a photo of the hooked rugs on the floor of their Long Island home—Port of Missing Men. During the Hutchinson’s rug boom from 1920s to mid-1950s, these rugs were being snatched up by her fellow aristocrats & celebrities—like the Rockefellers. So we know that the Rogers family already owned hooked rugs, but so did  their wealthy & celebrity friends. Millicent had a home in Taos, New Mexico & a well established love of the West/Southwest. This rug has a Wild West soul. It has the rebel spirit, as did some of her own actions, such as—elopement & trendsetting. She seemed to be drawn to the unique or unusual. Isn’t the Jesse James rug just that—unique & unusual?

This Virginia home was the essence of her personal style! Research says that…Washington politicians, spies, designers, actors, writers, & socialites dined & partied at Claremont Manor. Such intriguing people! ---- So, her home was also a showcase & spectacular stage for entertainment—for people like Clark Gable & Ian Fleming. A source for good stories too. And what great stories Millicent & her guests could make up about this rug? Don’t you think?

What did this Jesse James rug see & hear while at Claremont Manor? The rug must have some wonderful tales to tell! If only Jesse could talk!

The Claremont home was sold in the summer of 1952—Millicent owned it for 12 years. Then, some of the estate’s contents went to Taos, others went to her boys, & some into storage in Manhattan. Her East Coast secretary was entrusted with the task of making an inventory of all of Claremont’s things. I wish I could have seen a copy of that inventory—as I don’t know which home this rug went to next. In 1953, sadly, Millicent passed away. I contacted the Millicent Rogers Museum & asked them to please contact the descendants for more information, but none was available. So unfortunately, I’m unable to document the rug in any of Millicent’s other homes or decedent's homes, with photos or memories. But it appears that the rug had one owner from it's original sale at auction in1940, until probably her death, & then passed on to her descendants/family until just recently, when they sold it.

 

Isn’t it fitting that someone, again, with such an interesting life has owned a Hutchinson hooked rug. They found the rug’s topic to be intriguing to them, they appreciated the rug as a piece of fiber art, & they themselves were also a fiber artist/artist.

It is always a joy for me to travel around & talk to fiber artists & share the stories of the hooked rugs from the Rug Hooking Traditions book series. It also gives me the opportunity to meet wonderful & talented fiber artists, in their own right. For those who haven’t gotten to see one of my presentations, with the original Hutchinson rugs, I hope you enjoy this blog post.

If you would like to know more about Millicent Rogers, there is a wonderful book titled Searching for Beauty by Cherie Burns. It’s a great read, I think you will enjoy it!

If you are ever in Taos, New Mexico, there is the wonderful Millicent Rogers Museum – there you will find a number of Millicent’s personal collections from her nearby home Turtle Walk, including: antique & contemporary Native American & Spanish Colonial baskets, Colcha embroidery, furniture, jewelry, paintings, pottery, sculptures, tinwork & more. The museum was one of my favorite museums in New Mexico. it’s also where I saw the beautiful Colcha Embroidery for the first time.

When I visited the museum in 2024, I was blown away by the Colcha Embroidery. an outstanding collection. The photo is of a blue floral Colcha Embroidery—c 20th century by Maria Teofila Lujan, was one of my favorites.

I immediately jumped down the rabbit hole to find out more about it. The El Rancho de las Golondrinas, a living history museum near Santa Fe, put me in contact with award winning, international Colcha Embroidery artist & teacher Julia Gomez. Julia was kind enough to tell me all about the Colcha history & techniques, & gave me a lesson. Coincidently, I was able to also attend a wonderful Colcha Embroidery exhibit that had opened that weekend at the Abiquiu Inn, near Georgia O’Keefe’s studio & Ghost Ranch. (Both the studio & Ghost Ranch are great places to visit too.)

 Colcha Embroidery

Colcha is Spanish for decorative bed-covering or blanket. In New Mexico, it describes a specific type of hand-embroidery, developed in the mid-1700s from a long tradition of textile arts. Colcha is still being taught & practiced today.

In Colcha embroidery, everything is made/done by the artist. The artist weaves the foundation piece, but first the wool fiber is prepared, spun into yarn & dyed, & finally the beautiful Colcha Embroidery is stitched. Sometimes the artist also makes a metal or wood frame for the embroidery. The wool fiber comes from Churro Sheep, brought to North America in the 16th century by Spanish explorers.

   

Colcha embroidery is done with the Couching stitch – a long stitch that is tacked down.  There are 2 types of Colcha – covering the foundation totally or just embellishing it. Colcha Embroidery is unique to the New Mexico region.

 

Nearby, there is also an Española Valley Fiber Arts Center in Española, New Mexico. The Center offers various fiber arts supplies, equipment, books, classes, events, finished goods & exhibits. Be sure to visit them if you are in the area. 

  

New Mexico was filled with artists & fiber art was just one medium. The museums were outstanding, especially the Native American museums & lands. The countryside was breathtaking. I especially enjoyed staying at Ghost Ranch. New Mexico was a great place to explore & do research! 

 

Well, I hope you found something of interest in this post—about the Hutchinson’s intriguing Jesse James rug & the marvelous Millicent Rogers.

Here's to opportunities for travel in your near future, as well as time to enjoy fiber art!

 Kathy

 « The items in blue can be clicked on for additional info.

 «  If you would like to order a copy of the Hutchinson book, here is my Etsy Shop.