Nineteenth-century handwoven coverlets are exceptional windows on the early years of American culture. They are increasingly prized by collectors for their superb craftsmanship and beauty of design as well as their historical significance. Produced by professional weavers, many of whom had fled the industrial revolution in Europe, coverlets were used as the uppermost coverings of beds. In addition to their intricate and colorful designs, many have personal inscriptions woven into their corner blocks or borders. The peak of production for handwoven coverlets was the relatively short period between 1820 and the end of the Civil War, when the weaving industry was rapidly becoming fully mechanized. The Don and Jean Stuck Coverlet Collection at the Columbus Museum of Art is the largest public collection of coverlets in the United States. The works of 185 known weavers are documented here, as are those of many anonymous weavers. With works from the nine most prominent coverlet-producing states and Canada, the collection includes examples of most weave structures and has a broad representation of colors, centerfield and border designs, and corner blocks.

Weaving a Legacy: The Don and Jean Stuck Coverlet Collection

Arts & Photography

Anderson, Clarita S.

Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions

Harry N.Abrams, Inc.

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.

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

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Crafts & Hobbies

Ohio University Press

Antiques & Collectibles

Columbus Museum of Art

Figured and Fancy: Weavers of Wayne County, New York

Wayne County Historical Soc.

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Books by Anderson, Clarita S.