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Stitching Together Religion and Science
In the 1800s, the public experienced awe through astronomy—especially comets illuminating the night sky.
Ellen Harding Baker spent seven years making this quilt to illustrate her astronomy lectures in churches and community halls across Iowa. In cotton, wool, and elaborate silk embroidery, she depicted the sun, stars, and planets. The blazing comet in the corner may represent one that in 1882 inspired religious musings and wonder at the universe. |