Harry Tyler

Harry Tyler(1801-1858)
Harry Tyler was born in Connecticut in 1801. His family had come from England. In 1830 when he was 29 he moved to Butterville, Town of Henderson, Jefferson County, New York. There he started weaving wool and cotton coverlet's from his home. He used the Jacquard weaving system, which used punched cards to control the loom. This made for more detailed workmanship.

Tyler always added an English Lion as a motif signature in the corner of his coverlets. His son Elman worked with him and on his suggestion in 1845 they changed the English Lion for the American Eagle. Which resembled the United States seal. He always added his customers name and that it was made in Jefferson County, New York to each of his coverlet's. He wove his coverlet's from 1834 until his death in 1858. Today these same coverlet's are in a few museums all over the United States and are valued in a range from $2,500 to as high as $15,000.

On July 12, 2002 the U.S. Postal service released a 60 cent stamp with the famous Eagle design on it. Artist Arthur G. Merkley and designer Richard Sheaff designed the stamp from the now famous Tyler Coverlet's.