USPS Issues Stamps for Quiltmaker Harriet Powers
The U.S. Postal Service has dedicated a new series of commemorative stamps honoring Harriet Powers, a pioneering 19th-century African American quiltmaker and storyteller. The stamps feature masterpieces from Powers, who was born into slavery in 1837.
Only two of Harriet Powers' remarkable quilts are known to survive today: the "Bible Quilt" (1886) and the "Pictorial Quilt" (1898). The Bible Quilt is housed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, while the Pictorial Quilt resides at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Powers' quilting style is a significant example of African American storytelling through textiles. She used the appliqué technique, which has roots in West Africa, to create narrative panels depicting biblical stories and local historical events. This narrative approach was unusual for the 19th century when most quilts focused on patterns. Her 1886 Bible Quilt, composed of 11 panels, illustrates stories such as Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and the Last Supper. Powers created it from 299 separate pieces of fabric, sewn together by both hand and machine. She first exhibited it at the Athens, Georgia, Cotton Fair of 1886. The Pictorial Quilt from 1898 chronicles both biblical tales and contemporary events in its 15 panels. These include the Leonid meteor shower of 1833, a significant local event that Powers knew from oral accounts. She provided a detailed oral description of the stories in her panels, which was transcribed, preserving her intended meaning. The new Forever stamps, designed by USPS art director Derry Noyes, feature four detailed panels from the "Pictorial Quilt". The stamps are being issued in a pane of 20 and will be available for purchase at Post Offices and online at usps.com starting February 28, 2026. A first-day-of-issue ceremony will be held in Washington, D.C., in partnership with the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.
