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

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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

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