Classic American Quilts

13 Mar - 31 Oct 2010
12noon until 5pm

American Museum in Britain
Claverton Manor
Bath, BA2 7BD

Housed in Georgian splendour at Claverton Manor in Bath, the American Museum in Britain remains the only museum outside the United States to showcase the nation’s decorative arts. The museum’s collection is acclaimed as the finest of its type in Europe. Ranging from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries, these exuberant works of art and craft are visually bold, technically assured and often proudly patriotic.

Classic American Quilts is an exhibition showcasing rarely seen examples of the collection, alongside those on display in the period rooms. As well as responding to a revived interest in crafts, the quilts provide a unique insight into the lives of ordinary American women.

From the exuberance of the red and white Hawaiian designs to the muted simplicity of the restricted Amish palette, the exhibition shows how varied this craft can be. Choice of materials, such as cigar silks, show the resourcefulness of the makers whilst backing materials can have political connotations.

Skill in this craft could prove life changing. Enslaved seamstress, Elizabeth Keckley, bought her freedom with money made from her sewing skills and later became dressmaker to President Lincoln’s wife.

Publication

Curatorial staff, Laura Beresford and Katherine Herbert, have produced a lavishly illustrated accompanying book examining the history behind 50 star pieces from the collection. Classic Quilts from the American Museum in Britain, published by Scala, retails at £19.99.