American Coverlets and Their Weavers: Coverlets from the Collection of Foster and Muriel McCarl (Williamsburg Decorative Arts Series) - Hardcover

Anderson, Clarita S.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0821414445 ISBN 13: 9780821414446

Publisher: Ohio University Press, 2002

Synopsis

Coverlets woven in vibrant colors of red, blue, white, and green are as popular today as they were in the nineteenth century.

American Coverlets and Their Weavers is a lavishly illustrated guide to one of the premier collections of coverlets in the nation. As such, it is also an essential reference for collectors, historians, specialists in material culture, and others who are interested in American textiles.

Published in association with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, American Coverlets and Their Weavers is a work of impressive scholarship. Clarita S. Anderson has drawn upon her extensive research to identify and discuss 700 weavers and to relate details about their lives and professional careers.

In-depth discussions explore more than fifty coverlets, which are depicted in detail. Another key feature of the book is the annotated dictionary of professional American weavers of figured and fancy coverlets compiled from the University of Maryland Historic Textile Database and the research files at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum.

Published in conjunction with the exhibition at the Folk Art Museum in Williamsburg between May 2002 and September 2003, American Coverlets and Their Weavers will be a treasured guide for collectors and historians alike.

About this title

About the Author

Clarita S. Anderson, noted lecturer and scholar, has written widely on textiles and is the author of Weaving a Legacy: The Don and Jean Stuck Coverlet Collection and Figured and Fancy: Weavers of Wayne County, New York.

From Library Journal

Two private collections of American handwoven coverlets, both including well-preserved examples created mostly in the Middle Atlantic states, Ohio, and Indiana between the 1810s and the 1860s, are presented in these two books. The McCarl collection is on display in Colonial Williamsburg through next year, but the Shein collection is not currently on exhibit. The coverlets, of a type known as fancy and figured coverlets, feature elaborate patterns incorporating such images as flowers, foliage, animals, government buildings, and patriotic scenes. Names of the weaver and client and the date and place of production are frequently woven into the corner blocks. The volume on the Shein collection is mainly a lovely picture book, presenting full-page photographs of both the fronts and backs of 105 coverlets. There is minimal identifying text, and a short, disjointed introduction contains some tidbits about the production of coverlets and their place in the political and social setting of the 19th century. The book on the McCarl collection presents close to 60 coverlets in full-page photographs showing their front sides, with close-up photographs of their corner blocks and a page of text for each coverlet, explaining the design motifs and summarizing what is known about the weaver. Almost half of the McCarl book is devoted to a biographical dictionary of over 700 known coverlet weavers, including information about extant coverlets believed to be theirs and the historical record of their lives. Both books contribute additional examples to the coverlets that have been documented in a number of previous volumes, while the McCarl book includes a unique addition in the biographical dictionary. Providing a good overview of the artistic range and the current appeal of these historical coverlets, these beautiful books are suitable for public libraries and specialized collections.
Kathryn Wekselman, M.Ln., Cincinnati
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Ohio University Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0821414445
• ISBN 13: 9780821414446
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 261