American Quilts and Folk Arts: A Research Guide

Museum of Fine Arts Boston

The William Morris Hunt Memorial Library

Librarian: Lisa A. Welter 

Exhibition Research Guide: American Quilts and Folk Arts

Exhibition dates: September 15, 2016 - January 15, 2017 

This traveling exhibition featuring quilts and decorative arts from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, will be opening on September 15, 2016. The exhibition features eight quilts created between 1841 and 1930 alongside a collection of 19th century paintings and painted household furnishings. The following research guide provides links to some of featured works, followed by print and electronic resources available through the Museum's department library and at the William Morris Hunt Memorial Library. All print resources will be held on reserve for docents at the Hunt Library.

Exhibition Highlights

Quilts and Coverlets:

• Four Eagles pattern, maker unknown, ca. 1880. Cotton.
• Woman’s Rights Quilt, by Emma Civey Stahl, ca. 1875. Cotton.
• Mariner's Compass Quilt, by Barbara Ann Miller, 1847. Cotton and linen.
• Branches and Vines Quilt, by Ernestine Eberhardt Zaumseil (1828-1904), ca. 1875. Cotton.
• Floral Applique Quilt, by Emeline Travis Ludington (1820-1887), ca. 1850. Cotton.
• Star of Bethlehem Quilt, maker unknown, ca. 1845. Cotton.
• Woven coverlet fragment, by Harry Tyler (1801-1858), 1841. Wool and Cotton.
• Quilt, Split Bars pattern, Amish maker, ca. 1930. Wool and cotton.

Decorative Arts:

• Peaceable Kingdom, by Edward Hicks (1780-1849), ca. 1830-1832. Oil on canvas. 
• The Falls of Niagara, by Edward Hicks (1780-1849), ca. 1825. Oil on canvas.
• Lady and Her Pets (Molly Wales Fobes), by Rufus Hathaway (1770-1822), 1790. Oil on canvas.
• Chest, attributed to Nehemiah Randall (1770-1850), 1800-1820. White pine. 
• Dower Chest, made in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, 1800. Yellow poplar.
• Plate, attributed to Henry Troxel (active 1799-1829), 1818. 
• Candle Box, 1800-1830. White pine. 

Resources for research

On reserve at the William Morris Hunt Memorial Library MFA

The following resources available at the William Morris Hunt Library, department libraries and through Fenway Libraries Online will be held in reserve for docents at the Hunt Library for one month prior to an through the duration of the exhibition. The resources listed below are current (published 2010 or after) with the exception of the Encyclopedia of American Folk Art, the first truly comprehensive, scholarly study of the genre.

• Smucker, Janneken. Amish Quilts: Crafting an American Icon. Baltimore, Maryland: John Hopkins University Press, 2013. Written by a fifth-generation Mennonite quiltmaker and assistant professor of history at West Chester College (PA) this in-depth studies examines the history, aesthetics and construction of Amish quilts. 100 color photos. 
• Miller, Richard. A Shared Legacy: Folk Art in America. Alexandria, Virginia: Art Services International, 2014. Written by leading scholars in the field of American folk art, this illustrated book was created for major traveling exhibition. It serves as an introduction to the genre and several of the objects in this exhibit are featured in the book, including Edward Hicks' Peaceable Kingdom.
• Katcher, Jane, David A. Schorsch, Ruth Wolfe. Expressions of Innocence and Eloquence: Selections from the Jane Katcher Collection of Americana. Seattle: Marquand Books; New Haven: in association with Yale University Press, 2011. The collection of folk art scholar and collector Jane Katcher is examined in this recent publication, with images of over 200 works that span the materials and geography. From weathervanes and whirlygigs to painted furniture and quilts, the images and articles offer a comprehensive exploration of American Folk Art.
• Parmal, Pamela. Quilts and Color: The Pilgrim/Roy Collection. Boston: Museum of Fine Arts Publications, 2014. Catalog from the 2014 exhibition at the MFA featuring the 60 quilts that were included in the exhibition. In addition to the exploration of the quilts in the context of visual art, the catalog discusses the cultural and social context in which the quilts were constructed, along with the various techniques used.
• Morris, Catherine, editor. Workt by Hand: Hidden Labor and Historical Quilts. Brooklyn, NY: Brooklyn Museum, 2012. Written to accompany the exhibition by the same name, this resource explores quilt making through feminist scholarship, addressing the issues of "anonymity, authorship and collectivity" in a craft that has seen a shift in cultural status from collectible decorative art to material culture subject in the social history of women. Thirty-five, 19th and 20th century quilts featured, including pieced and appliqued quilts.
• Quilts and Color: The Pilgrim Roy Collection. Renowned quilt collector, Gerald Roy, presented this hour-long lecture at the Museum of Fine arts on the creative use of color in 19th and early 20th century American quilts. 2014.
• Wertkin, Gerard C., editor. Encyclopedia of American Folk Art [electronic resource]; in association with the American Folk Art Museum, 2004. Voted one of the "Top Twenty Reference Titles of the Year" in 2004 by the American Library Association, the Encyclopedia of American Folk Art still serves as a valuable resource with 600 cross-referenced and indexed articles written by 92 scholars in the field, and includes 175 images of the decorative works studied. This resource is also available in print form through WorldCat.

Additional electronic resources

• Folk Art Quilts: A Rich Tradition, Stacy Holland at the American Folk Art Museum/Pottery Barn. 2010. In this short video, Senior Curator of the American Folk Art Museum discusses quilts in the context of folk art. 
• The Smithsonian National Quilt Collection: An Overview.  This 2011 video produced by Smithsonian Institution provides both an introduction to the museum's collection and the craft of quilting, as well as an overview of the history of quilting in the United States.
• "The Peaceable Kingdom" by Edward Hicks, 1829-1831, by the Amon Carter Museum of American Folk Art (Fort Worth, TX). This short video published in October of 2015 focuses on the version of "Peaceable Kingdom" purchased by museum in 2013. Although a different version than the one included in this traveling exhibition, the video provides explanation of the series completed by Hicks and the symbolism and metaphors used in his works. 
• Minardi, Lisa.  A Colorful Folk: Pennsylvania Germans and the Art of Everyday Life, originally published in the Summer 2015 issue of Antiques & Fine Art magazine. One of the leading institutions studying Pennsylvania German folk art, the Winterthur Museum has one of the most comprehensive collections of painted furniture and decorative arts in the United States. This article will provide insight and context to two of the pieces featured in this exhibition, the dower chest and plate, listed above.

Additional resources:

• Warren, Elizabeth. Quilts: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum. New York: Rizzoli, 2010. A more recent publication from the American Folk Art Museum that features over 200 quilts from the collection, written as a catalog for the 2011 exhibition. The book discusses the techniques used in each quilt, historical context, and biographical information about the creator, when available.  ISBN: 9780847833733
• New England Quilt Museum, 18 Shattuck Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. 1-978-452-4207. For those who may be looking for a local field trip, the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, is dedicated to the history and craft of quilting.  The museum features changing exhibitions and a library of over 5000 books on or related to quilts and quilt making. Check the website for regular visiting hours and current exhibitions.