Centennial Quilt

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	From a distance, this work of art appears to be just a quilt, but it is not. It is the story of the U.S. Census Bureau and the part that it has played from "Inkwell to Internet" to chronicle our Nation's past and illuminate the future.
	At the center of the story is the Census Bureau seal surrounded by 100 compass points --one for each year of our existence as an organization. At each major directional compass point is a ten- pointed star, created from two five-pointed stars: these represent the population census we conduct every 10 years and the economic census every 5 years—another representation of our 100 years of service to our Nation.
	The story begins at the lower left corner and moves clockwise. The years before 1902 are depicted by our Constitutional mandate and the original 13 colonies, and our expanding industry, trade, transportation, and freedom of our people.
The story continues with a snapshot of the rich history of the 20th century as the country and cities grow, technology is integrated into our work and society, and the diversity of our people enriches our Nation. Carol Briggs, a Census Bureau employee for 12 years, created this work of art to commemorate our centennial. She has created a skillful and moving representation of our place in American history and our work as an organization to chronicle the past and illuminate the future. We thank her for all of her hours of hard work. The Quilt will be on display near the Census Bureau's "Meeting Place" in Building 3 later this year.
Click on any image to see a larger version
Top left quilt panel	Top center panel	Top right quilt panel
Left middle panel	Center medallion	Right middle panel
Left bottom panel	Center bottom panel	Right bottom panel