Bendolph Corduroy Bed

Details

Our Bendolph Corduroy Bed features a handcrafted modern silhouette, with cozy brushed corduroy fabric. Thoughtfully designed, the bed’s thick headboard offers comfortable relaxation for time spent reading a good book or watching TV in bed. The mattress slats are made of sturdy rubber plywood, allowing for less sagging for both inner-spring and memory foam mattresses. The mattress can be put on the slats directly, with no box spring required on this modern platform bed.

Editors' Note

Named in honor of Mary Lee Bendolph, who use of corduroy was an important part of fundraising for the Civil Rights Movement, Bendolph was born in 1935 in Gee’s Bend, Alabama (also known as Boykin). She is one of the best known contemporary exponents of the Gee’s Bend quilting tradition, itself among the best known surviving traditions of African American quilt-making. Gee’s Bend quilts first came to national attention in the 1960s with the formation of the Freedom Quilting Bee, a collection of African American women from Gee’s Bend who used quilting to earn money and rally support for the voting drives of the Civil Rights Movement. Despite retaliation from the local government, auctions of the quilts in New York City attracted the attention of Vogue, Bloomingdales and eventually the Smithsonian. In the 70s, the Freedom Quilting Bee was contracted to produce pillow cases for Sears. They incorporated scraps of the material into their quilts, forming a new style of design. Bendolph, who began quilting at age 12 was a member of the Freedom Quilting Bee. As appreciation for this original, American art form has increased in recent years, her work has garnered special attention — particularly her work in corduroy, which has featured several personal variations on the original style. Her pieces have appeared in numerous exhibitions and showcases, and are held in the collections of several museums, along with the work of other quilters including Lucy T. Pettway and Louisiana Bendolph, her daughter-in-law.