Fabric of a Nation

American Quilt Stories

By: Pamela A. Parmal, Jennifer M. Swope, Lauren D. Whitley, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich (Preface by)

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Hardcover | 15 July 2021

At a Glance

Hardcover
240 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
26.6 x 24.7 x 2.54

Hardcover

$71.25

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The diverse and sometimes hidden stories of the American experience told by quilts and bedcovers from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

A mother stitches a few lines of prayer into a bedcover for her son serving in the Union army during the Civil War. A formerly enslaved African American woman creates a quilt populated by Biblical figures alongside celestial events. A Diné women weaves a blanket for a U.S. Army soldier stationed in the Southwest. A quilted Lady Liberty, George Washington, and Abraham Lincoln mark the resignation of Richard Nixon. These are just a few of the diverse and sometimes hidden stories of the American experience told by quilts and bedcovers from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Spanning more than four hundred years, the fifty-six works of textile art in this book express the personal narratives of their makers and owners and connect to broader stories of global trade, immigration, industry, marginalization, and territorial and cultural expansion. Made by Americans of European, African, Native, and Hispanic heritage, these engaging works of art range from family heirlooms to acts of political protest, each with its own story to tell.

About the Author

Pamela A. Parmal is Chair, and David and Roberta Logie Curator of Textile and Fashion Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Jennifer M. Swope is Assistant Curator of Textile and Fashion Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Lauren D. Whitley is Senior Curator of Textile and Fashion Arts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Industry Reviews

Once a luxury item, since the 17th century quilts have evolved into a democratic art form that celebrates collaboration. Fabric of a Nation, a new book, brings together quilts spanning more than 300 years from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It's a snapshot of America - Native American history, women's suffrage, the construction of the railway, the civil rights movement. "Quilts are incredibly accessible objects," says Jennifer M Swope, who curated the book and exhibition running in Boston. "They have been made and treasured by so many - rich and poor; women and men; urban and rural; white makers and artists of colour. In this way, quilts speak to many threads of the story of America." -- Kathryn Bromwich * Guardian *
Filled with photos of vibrant, historical and modern hand-stitched textile art. -- Rebecca Malinsky * Wall Street Journal *
Named an Honor Book. * The 2022 Historic New England Book Prize *

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