Umbrella

Umbrella used by Lucretia Mott

This blue cotton umbrella that belonged to Lucretia Mott was made of “free” cotton—cotton made without the use of slave labor. According to family tradition, Lucretia purchased, whenever possible, free cotton at the “Taylor Free Store, Fifth Street, in Philadelphia”—possibly the store belonging to George Taylor on Fifth Street. The umbrella was donated to the museum by Lucretia Mott’s great granddaughter. The cotton has a woven border that resembles borders woven into handkerchiefs. The stick is made of wood, carved to resemble bamboo and then painted black. The handle ends with a curved piece of horn. The staves (inside portion of an umbrella) are metal, painted black.

Division of Social History, Costume National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution Behring Center Gift of Lucretia Mott Churchill Jordan