American Quilts in the Industrial Age, 1760–1870

Part of a comprehensive catalog of the International Quilt Study Center and Museum collection, American Quilts in the Industrial Age, 1760–1870 highlights the dazzling designs and intricate needlework of America’s treasured material culture. From whole cloth to pieced quilts to elaborate appliqué examples, all reflecting various design movements such as Neoclassicism and Eastern exoticism, the contributing authors address the development of quilt making in America from its inception in the 1700s to the period of the U.S. Civil War.

Covering more than one hundred years of quilt making, this volume examines the period’s quilts from both an artistic and a historical perspective. The contributors provide critical information regarding the founding of the republic and the influential republican values and ideals manifested in the quilts of this era. They also address the role that immigration and industrialization played in the evolution of materials and styles. With full-color photographs of nearly six hundred quilts, American Quilts in the Industrial Age, 1760–1870 offers new insights into American society.