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The article presents a detailed description of the Cadwalader Family town house and its furnishings located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Highlighted are architectural drafts, details of room décor. Included in the article are descriptions with pictures of several furnishings including a coffeepot, chair, picture frames, card tables, and coffee tables. John and Elizabeth Cadwalader commissioned the best craftsmen available to work on the decorating of their home and to design and create their furniture including Benjamin Randolph, Thomas Affleck, and James Reynolds.

The article discusses the Cadwalader family developments during the 19th century in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1776, Elizabeth Cadwalader, wife of John Cadwalader died and in 1779 John remarried Williamina Bond, the daughter of a prominent Philadelphia physician. In 1786 John Cadwalader died and several years later, in 1793, Williamina sold their town house. The furnishings and contents of the house were distributed among Cadwalader’s five children with specific mention of the items received by Thomas Cadwalader, John and Elizabeth's only son. The article discusses the items that they received, many of which are now part of a collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art including items such as mirrors, a pair of pitchers, a pier table and several paintings.

The article discusses the social, political, and cultural development in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the Colonial Period, focusing on the Cadwalader family, one of the most powerful and influential families in Philadelphia at the time. In colonial Philadelphia, political, business and social networks were established through families forming strong and powerful, dynastic-like relationships. As seen with the Cadwalader family, the establishment of elegant homes became symbols of influence in the community. A history of the Cadwalader family is presented noting their distinguished history of leadership beginning with John Cadwalader, the family’s founder in the U.S. who emigrated from Wales. The remainder of the article discusses the Cadwalader home and the family’s growth.

The article discusses the development of appliqué quilting techniques in the 19th century and their place in society. Quilting became popular in America during the 19th century. As society began to shift, with the spread of industrialization in the 1840s a heavy importance was placed on domestication for women. This led to a growing popularity for needlework especially in the Delaware Valley of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and yielded the emergence of numerous appliqué techniques. The 19th century patchwork quilts fulfilled social, aesthetic, and psychological functions.

The article discusses a summer bedcover made in Pennsylvania between 1875-1900. The bedcover incorporates Pennsylvania German designs including eagle and floral motifs popular during the end of the 19th century. The article also provides a photo of the bedcover. The frequently used American eagle design was adopted from a Germanic motif that was common in Pennsylvania German decorative and folk art. The bedcover displays the Germanic symbol of birth through its cotton appliqué of flowers and buds emerging from an urn.

The article discusses a Pennsylvania German quilt with pillow covers made between 1870-1900. The author illustrates how the quilt portrays the changes in quilting techniques and the development of different styles that came with the availability of colored fabrics. It was a Germanic custom to sleep between two mattresses in the early 19th century but the quilt replaced the second mattress by the end of the century. The article includes a photo of the cotton appliqéd quilt. The quilt, with its tulip patterns, incorporates many common Pennsylvania German styles and motifs.

The article discusses a quilt from Pennsylvania made between 1870-90. The quilt incorporates many Pennsylvania German motifs such as bordering vine with leaves and birds, appliqué budding flowers, and sunbursts. The article also includes a photo of the quilt. The cotton appliqué quilt incorporates intersecting diagonals, filled circle, and wave quilting. Germanic motifs were used frequently within 19th century quilting patterns and were made popular by German immigrants to the U.S. The article also mentions the symbolic background of the Germanic motifs.

The article discusses a Pennsylvania German quilt made between 1860-70. The quilt had intersecting diagonal motifs and used a feather-like pattern called the Prince of Wales feather. These patterns were typically used by Pennsylvania German women. The appliqué quilt incorporates an eight-pointed star, tulips, and an oak leaf design, with an inner border made of reciprocal triangles. The Pennsylvania German love of color is seen throughout the quilt by the alternate placing of contrasting colors within the pattern.

The article discusses a quilt from Pennsylvania made between 1860-80 that displayed the connection women associated between quilting and marriage. Many women during the 19th century saw quilting as a preparation for marriage. The author determines that the quilt was finished by the quests of a bridal party. The quilt incorporates many German motifs including flowers, vines, and oak leaves while using a trapunto pattern and cotton appliqué. The quilt represented several symbolic aspects, for example, the light blue within the quilt that was a symbol for marriage.

The article discusses a bedcover from Delaware County, Pennsylvania during the mid 19th century. The quilt incorporates an appliqué motif using a paper cutting technique known as scherenschnitte amongst the Pennsylvania Germans. The article also includes a picture of the quilt. The quilt's pattern of squares surrounding a center medallion was very popular in British and American households of Welsh, English, and Scottish descent. This pattern was common in Delaware County during the mid 19th century due to the Welsh, Irish, and Scottish backgrounds of the farmers.

The article discusses a popular style of hunting, riding, and harvest festival motifs as featured on a bedcover quilt. This genre of sport prints was commonly depicted on quilts during the early 19th century in British and American households. The author suggests that the quilt is influenced by Anglo-Indian textiles because of the color of its border and the similar composition of the center basket to Indian palampores. The article also discusses the creative outlet found in appliqué technique due to its flexibility for personal interpretation in stitching and the ability to incorporate printed designs.