Textiles in America 1650-1870: A Dictionary Based on Original Documents, Prints and Paintings, Commercial Records, American Merchants' Papers, Shopk (Winterthur/Barra Book) [Hardcover]

Florence M. Montgomery (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: W W Norton & Co Inc; 1st edition (July 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393017036
• ISBN-13: 978-0393017038
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,671,247 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have reference!, February 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Textiles in America 1650-1870: A Dictionary Based on Original Documents, Prints and Paintings, Commercial Records, American Merchants' Papers, Shopk (Winterthur/Barra Book) (Hardcover)

Comprehensive source for the serious researcher, based on original documents. Hundreds of photos of textiles, pattern books, commerical records, etc. Information is arranged in a dictionary format. There is a slight difficulty in matching photos with definitions, but it's worth the trouble.

5.0 out of 5 stars Nifty!, May 26, 2011

By 

Lovely Zombie - See all my reviews

This review is from: Textiles in America 1650-1870: A Dictionary Based on Original Documents, Prints and Paintings, Commercial Records, American Merchants' Papers, Shopk (Winterthur/Barra Book) (Hardcover)

This book is super-duper, keen AND neato. It is all those things and more. Most of the detailed information applies to home furnishing textiles, such as bed coverings, upholstery and drapery, but generally, a great deal of information is provided about textiles used for many different purposes. It's much larger than I expected and the color insert has nice, large reproductions of early textile patterns and fabrics. It's a dictionary, and offers very nice definitions of textile-related terms, but it's no match for a Fairchild's. The attraction here is the illustrations and photo-inserts. This isn't a stand-alone book, but it's fantastic for a reference, particularly with an eye towards imports. They aren't kidding when they say "Textiles IN America." Not American-made mind you; but textiles that have, through various means, found their way into the country somehow. Or not. Or whatever. Like I said, pretty pictures. If you think too hard about the inclusion of French fabric swatch books, you'll lose out on all the fun. Make yourself another martini and dream up your own version of things, if it bothers you.