Three TRC volunteers enjoying setting up the exhibition.On Thursday, 9 January 2020, the director of the TRC, Gillian Vogelsang, writes:

We have been working very hard for the last few days on getting the new TRC exhibition about American Quilts in order. There are two themes, namely (a) techniques, materials and blocks (patterns) used for making quilts and (b) changes over the last two hundred years.

The oldest full quilt on display dates from the 1830’s, but there are also quilts and tops made from early 19th century textiles.

As you come into the exhibition there is the section on materials, including a range of battings (waddings), which is an important but often neglected area of quilt making, but there are also quilting tools, and a wide variety of blocks.

In the centre are two A-frames with numerous quilts and quilt tops dating from the 1880’s to the present day.

Special quilts on display include an example made by Inza McVay in about 1916. She was a member of the (First Nation) Lakota people in South Dakota. There are also several autograph quilt tops (one dating to 1934), as well as quilts stitched with simple and complicated designs.

There are five appliqué quilts from the 1930s-1950s. Plus so much more!

We have also decided to show separately a special quilt every two weeks, with details about its history and why it is of interest! We will publish the information on our webpages with a photograph of the quilt.

All quilts form part of the TRC Collection of more than 26000 items, including one of the largest American quilt collections in this part of Europe.

To introduce you to the intriguing history of quilts and quilt making in America, we present to you the provisional text boards that will go with the exhibition. The texts were written by the two curators of the exhibition, Susan Cave and Beverley Bennett. A PDF file with the texts can be downloaded here. Enjoy!

The exhibition opens on the 5th February. You are most welcome to come and experience 200 years of American quilts.