Amish Quilts

Janneken Smucker is an assistant professor of history at West Chester University. She is coauthor of Amish Abstractions: Quilts from the Collection of Faith and Stephen Brown and Amish Crib Quilts from the Midwest: The Sara Miller Collection. She is also a quiltmaker.

Preface Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Made in America 2. Amish Quilts, Amish Value 3. Off of Beds and Onto Walls 4. Folk Art and Women's Work 5. The Fashion for Quilts 6. From Rags to Riches 7. Amish Intermediaries 8. A Good Amish Quilt Folded Like Money 9. Designed to Sell 10. Homespun Efficiency 11. The Amish Brand 12. Outsourcing Authenticity Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

Just as people who buy the New Yorker for its cartoons feel they've gotten their money's worth without reading beyond the punch lines, readers may take this up for the pictures alone: they are sumptuous... [Smucker] writes appealingly and clearly, always defining quilt jargon and explaining cultural mores as she tells of the seemingly humble Amish quilts and the people who have loved them. Publishers Weekly (starred review) The gap between what artisans intend and what dealers and owners come to believe is entertainingly conveyed in this study by the textiles historian Janneken Smucker ... The book is timely since the history of folk art collection is under scrutiny. -- Eve Kahn New York Times Smucker's engaging writing style and keen sense of American history and consumerism makes this book suitable for academic libraries that service art and fashion programs, textile collections and museums, and public repositories in communities where craft is integral to daily life. -- Joe Festa Art Libraries Society of North America The story of the rise of Amish quilts tells us more about the values of the art world than it does about the Amish. Yet it is a story that reminds us that constraint fosters creativity, and scarcity creates desire. -- Betsy Childs First Things It is handsomely and colorfully designed, playing on the theme of Amish Quilts... Highly recommended. Choice Janneken Smucker knows quilts... she nimbly showcases that knowledge while working to dispel the generalization and stereotypes that have come to shroud Amish quilts... Amish Quilts is an intellectual crafting not to be missed. A fascinating social history of the Amish quilt phenomenon. Homespun As a history of the Amish quilt as an art object and a study of the commercialism of products imbued with Amishness, this work is invaluable. Smucker's exploration of how non-Amish collectors have been able to define and impose value on Amish products and how dealers, Amish and non-Amish, have appropriated the appeal of "Amishness" while trading on stereotypes sheds much light on how mainstream society constructs the identity of minority ethnic groups. -- Karen M. Johnson-Weiner Journal of Mennonite Studies This compelling book looks closely at one form of material culture-Amish quilts-illuminating both their particular role in American history and the holistic methods by which to examine material culture... The book is well written and organized, thoroughly researched, and beautifully illustrated... It provides an important material culture case study, reminding us to look carefully at multiple cultural contexts as we build historical narratives. -- Beverly Gordon Journal of American History Amish Quilts: Crafting an American Icon is a fascinating story of the influence that the art world and commercial demands can have on a craft. Smucker debunks the theory that all Amish quilts are dark and cautions the reader against falling into the trap of generalisation when discussing their design. It is a refreshing examination of the story of Amish quilts that highlights how the art world has defined their value. -- Katherine Hebert Textile History Smucker has combined meticulous scholarship, clear presentation, and thoughtful analysis to give general readers, museum curators, art historians, and material culture specialists the wherewithal to consider such claims of authenticity. Winterthur Portfolio