Perry County residents will get a blast from the past for the next few weeks. The Lutheran Heritage Center in Altenburg is home to the “Pieces of the Prairie” quilt exhibit.
Lutheran Heritage Center and Museum Director Carla Grebing is excited to present the collection to the area.
“We are pleased that we get to offer this collection to this community and this area,” Grebing said.
The more than 20 quilts are part of the Poos collection which is owned by Kay and Lori Triplett, and all date back to the 1800s. Grebing was actually closer than she even realized to the collection years ago.
“Kay was my neighbor when I lived in Houston, Texas,” Grebing said. “I never even realized what lived next door. It is based out of Kansas City now because Lori lives and she is the curator of the collection and one of the owners.
This collection is internationally-acclaimed and has been to many other continents such as Asia and Europe.
“This collection has been seen all over the world and we are glad that we get to show these quilts in Altenburg.” Grebing said. “Kay and Lori have numerous books that have been written about them and their quilts. They are also quilt researchers and fabric dye researchers. They are very respected in their field.”
Each quilt has a storyboard associated with them telling a little about each item, and the different designs that were important and popular at the time including turkeys and Presidential wreaths. There is also a child’s blanket in the collection which is quite rare as many quilts did not survive during that time period.
“All these quilts are homemade or home quilted,” Grebing said. “They were probably all made my hand in natural light or even candlelight because there was no electricity.”
Grebing noted that there has been many visitors to the Lutheran Heritage Center since the collection was first put on display in late June.
“Everyone that has come through has really enjoyed the quilts,” she said. “I think many people love to look back at the history. When we open the doors there have been people waiting to view the quilts. It’s really a sight to see.”
The quilts will be on display until July 26 in the south gallery of the Lutheran Heritage Center. The Center is open daily from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
