Carol Curtis, 1950-1956, former Nancy Cabot / Chicago Tribune patterns
Carol Curtis quilt pattern ads from Peerless Fashion Service began appearing in newspapers, September 5, 1950. Ordered from Box 229, Madison Square Station, New York 10, New York, they continued until July 1956. The designs can be traced to 1933-1938 Nancy Cabot / Chicago Tribune designs. The 1952 Carol Curtis catalog illustrates quilt and quilting pattern numbers 434, 461, 574, and 589.
Carol Curtis needlework with pattern numbers ranging 100-600 has been found in the Weekly Kansas City Star (by October 11, 1950) and Weekly Star Farmer (to about June 20, 1956); Modern Needlecraft (1951, 1952; without a byline); Progressive Farmer (by November 1951; ordered through the magazine); American Agriculturist (by August 1952); Nebraska Farmer (1952-1954); Cinderella Magazine (January 1955, February 1955); Tuscon (AZ) Daily Citizen; Oakland (CA) Tribune; Abilene (TX) Reporter-News; and others. At least one catalog was available during this period ordered from the Courier-Journal, Louisville, Kentucky, in 1952, and a book, Carol Curtis' Complete Book of Knitting and Crocheting (New York: Pocket Books, 1953; Cardinal ed., 1954) was also published. The June 1954 issue of Progressive Farmer includes an ad for the Carol Curtis Needlework Guide on page 84.
<< Insert image of the 1954 Carol Curtis book here. >>
After the demise of Peerless about 1956, the Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate transferred their pattern distribution to General Features and the Martha Madison byline was created replacing Carol Curtis. However, the Weekly Star Farmer and the Hayward (CA) Daily Review (and probably others) continued the Carol Curtis byline with Alice Brooks designs serviced by Reader Mail through various post office boxes at the Old Chelsea Station post office in New York City.
Six Carol Curtis patterns are known, all are former Nancy Cabot / Chicago Tribune patterns.
434, Home Treasure, Zinnia, Tulips in a Vase
461, Rose and Sunflowers, Single Lily, Rosebud Wreath
496, Starlight, Blazing Star, Solar System
503, Bright Star, Evening Star, New Star in the Heavens
574, quilting designs
589, Mother Goose, Scottie, Kitten
Note the statement in this 1950 article:
