The Bed Work
Taking to Bed © 2007
Antique wood doll bed with chicken wire mattress support: 12” (W) x 21” (L) x 13” (H)
Pillowcase front: (vintage white and pink trim cotton pillowcase) 8 1/2” (W) x 5” (L)
Antique Hand Tied Quilt: (vintage cotton sack cloth backing) 23” (W) x 21 1/2” (L)
Blanket folded over metal end of bed rail: (vintage off-white, blue, rose plaid cotton blanket)
18” (W) x 23” (L)
Folded Blanket front: (antique doll quilt) 20 1/4” (W) x 20” (L)
Pillow front: (vintage stripped cotton ticking, hand stuffed with cotton batting)
7 1/2” (W) x 4 1/2” (L)
Pillowcase back
Women whose stories of sickness revolve around “taking to bed.” From Charlotte Perkins Gillman’s feelings of her depression, and her doctor’s (S. Weir Mitchell) response “Neurasthenia in Women” eventually leading to her to write The Yellow Wallpaper.
There is also some encouragement for women to exercise from a woman writer who discusses the merits of using the bed as a way to strengthen oneself.
Click here: Take2Bed_TxtSpecs100807.pdf to download a PDF of the complete text and specs
Folded Blanket back
Blanket front: (vintage off-white cotton blanket) 26” (W) x 30” (L)
Quilt back
Pillow back
Top Sheet front: (vintage pink cotton sack cloth
with blue/white flowers) 19” (W) x 27” (L)
Blanket back
Mattress bottom side
Mattress bottom side detail
Bottom Sheet back detail
Bottom Sheet back
Bottom Sheet front: (vintage cotton sheet)
21 1/2” (W) x 29” (L)
Top Sheet back
Mattress top side: (vintage cotton ticking stuffed with cotton batting, hand tied)
11 1/2” (W) x 20 1/2” (L) x 2” (H)
Bottom Sheet back
If you would like any hi-res images of these photos, or if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me: tamarstone@pipeline.com
Images Copyright © 2006 by Tamar Stone. All Rights Reserved.
No images may be reproduced without the expressed written permission of the artist.