Artifact Details
CIA’s Freedom Quilt exhibit includes 17 quilt panels arranged to spell “FREEDOM” in Morse code.
Each summer, the United States celebrates its birthday on 4 July with fireworks, flag displays, concerts, and barbecues. Red, white, and blue tributes to our independence and freedom are everywhere. The date marks important events in CIA history as well. On 4 July 1956, a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft made its first overflight of the Soviet Union, giving the United States a way to monitor Soviet activities and capabilities that previously had been impossible. On 4 July 1950, Radio Free Europe began broadcasting to Eastern Europe, starting with Czechoslovakia. Protecting freedom is an important CIA mission.
CIA Museum’s collection contains many important expressions of American patriotism including a large exhibit entitled FREEDOM—17 quilt panels spelling the word “freedom” in Morse code. The narrow panels represent dots, while the wide panels represent dashes. Each group of panels represents a letter. The panels also have either two or four white stars for a total of 50 stars—one star for each state.
Two additional quilts hang near FREEDOM. One panel depicts the lance from the insignia of CIA’s predecessor, the Office of Strategic Services, and symbolizes that it is intelligence that first pierces the enemies’ defenses. The other panel depicts the eagle head from the Agency’s official seal. Together, they represent CIA’s rich history of preserving and protecting America’s freedom. The quilt exhibit hangs in the hallway located directly below the Berlin Wall exhibit, providing symbolic support for the Wall.
Quilts are a vital part of American history. Originally done for utilitarian purposes, today’s quilts are often both useful and stunning works of art. CIA’s Undercover Quilters guild, founded in 1988, brings together Agency employees who share a love of quilting. The results of their efforts range from bedcovers to table décor to wall hangings using traditional patchwork and appliqué techniques. The FREEDOM Quilt exhibit took nearly a year to plan and execute, and the quilters spent approximately 100 hours designing and sewing each quilt.
In addition to the FREEDOM pieces, the Undercover Quilters have made quilts for children in need and for newborns in local hospital neonatal intensive-care units. Most importantly, the guild makes a quilt for each immediate family of fallen heroes honored at the CIA Memorial Wall.
Additional Photos
The quilts represent CIA’s rich history of preserving and protecting America’s freedom.
This quilt depicts the eagle head from CIA’s official seal.
Video
Did you know these quilts contain a hidden message?
CIA Museum’s collection contains many expressions of American patriotism including this large exhibit of red, white, and blue quilts.
The narrow quilt panels represent dots, while the wide quilt panels represent dashes. Each group of panels represents a letter.
Together, the panels spell out the word "FREEDOM" in Morse Code.
Each panel contains either two or four white stars for a total of 50 stars—one star for each state.
Alongside the quilts that spell out Freedom, there are two additional quilts.
One depicts the spearhead from the insignia of CIA’s predecessor, the Office of Strategic Services. The other depicts the eagle head from CIA's official seal.
Together, the quilts represent CIA’s rich history of preserving and protecting America’s freedom.