Classic Quilts from the American Museum in Britain

This is a fascinating book looking at fifty-five of the quilts on display at the American Museum in Britain based at Claverton Manor in Bath. Since opening over fifty years ago, one of the major attractions has been the Textile Room where over fifty quilts are on display at any one time and half of these are rotated annually so visitors can experience a different offering with each visit. The book includes full page pictures and close up shots showing details of the fabric and quilting. I found this to be most useful and the next best thing to actually viewing the collection in person. There is a small description to accompany the photographs explaining the provenance of the quilts and their designs. For example, there is a lovely example of a Double Wedding Ring Quilt from 1930, with some background to the beginnings of this design for brides-to-be in the 1920s. The introduction to the book gives an interesting history to the emergence of quilting in America and the pages of quilts that follow bring the text to life. This would be welcome addition to any library with a slant towards quilting history and willl certainly make you want to visit the Museum, if not already.