In print since it was first published in 1979, this book is a glorious collection of American folk art by "ordinary" women of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Filled with beautiful four-color reproductions of samplers, quilts, paintings, and needle-pictures along with excerpts from diaries and letters, sampler verse, books, and magazines of the period, Anonymous Was a Woman celebrates the daily experiences and inner lives of women who, in acts of love and duty, created many masterpieces of American folk art.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Exquisite. . .To study it even for the shortest time is to feel exhilarated." --Germaine Greer
"Anonymous Was a Woman celebrates the raw creativity of America's lost artists: our foremothers." --Rita Mae Brown
"As true a lovingly pieced-together patchwork quilt as the artifacts of the ordinary women it celebrates...very moving." --Merge Piercy
"A splendid book, original, perceptive, and deeply moving." --Gerda Lerner, writer and historian
"A wonderful addition to the literature." --Adam Gopnik, art critic for The New Yorker
"Anonymous Was a Woman celebrates the raw creativity of America's lost artists: our foremothers." --Rita Mae Brown
"As true a lovingly pieced-together patchwork quilt as the artifacts of the ordinary women it celebrates...very moving." --Merge Piercy
"A splendid book, original, perceptive, and deeply moving." --Gerda Lerner, writer and historian
"A wonderful addition to the literature." --Adam Gopnik, art critic for The New Yorker
About the Author
Mirra Bank is a filmmaker who lives in New York City. She spent years researching Anonymous Was a Woman-both the book and the PBS film of the same name. Her other award-winning films include Enormous Changes at the Last Minute, Spirit to Spirit: Nikki Giovanni, and Nobody's Girls.
Phyllis Rose, whose preface is new to this addition of the book, is the author of Parallel Lives and editor of The Norton Book of Women's Lives.
Phyllis Rose, whose preface is new to this addition of the book, is the author of Parallel Lives and editor of The Norton Book of Women's Lives.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
how many women artists can you name?,
By jennifer courtney (Providence, Rhode Island) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Anonymous Was a Woman: A Celebration in Words and Images of Traditional American Art and the Women Who Made It (Paperback)
One day in an education class, my professor asked how many female artists can you name? Granted none of the people in the class were art majors but at most we came up with two, Virgina Woolfe and Mary Casset. Many people could not name any female artists. I found it astounding that in the history of western art, I could only think of two women painters. Taking the suggestion this professor, I decide to read the book "Anonymous was a woman" by Mirra Blank. I found the book intriguing and was impressed at its unveiling of how important domestic crafts like samplers and quilts were to women in the late eighteenth century and nineteenth century. The book has great photographs and anecdotal information that gives insight to the female mind of this time period. The images include quilts, velvet, and watercolor paintings. Excerpts are taken from the diaries of famous women like Louisa May Alcott and anonymous women who have been forgotten. The author also includes certain male points of view with repect to proper female conduct and love. I thought this book was great at revealing how many female artists there have been and their contribution to the American landscape.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Anonymous Was a Woman, a treasure,
By Simply Sage "Sage" (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Anonymous Was a Woman: A Celebration in Words and Images of Traditional American Art and the Women Who Made It (Paperback)
I love this book! As a needle woman myself, the accounts of other such women were dear to my heart. I gave it to my mother who taught me to sew and embroider and was sorry my grandmother who taught my mother was no longer living to share it with her. I particularly liked how the book divided the stages of the early women's lives and connected the stitcheries with journal entries. Some of the quotations are expressions of my own feelings. Anyone who uses a needle would find this a gem.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Charming little book,
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This review is from: Anonymous Was a Woman : A Celebration in Words and Images of Traditional American Art and the Women Who Made It (Paperback)
Learned of this at a local museum. The role of women in history is illustrated in an different way. ECM
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
"What virtues do you wish you had more of?" asks Mr. L. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Lucy Larcom, New England Girlhood, Cerinthy Ann, Mary Ann Willson, Aunt Hannah, Aunt Jane of Kentucky, Benjamin Harrison, Sarah Perkins New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
"What virtues do you wish you had more of?" asks Mr. L. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Lucy Larcom, New England Girlhood, Cerinthy Ann, Mary Ann Willson, Aunt Hannah, Aunt Jane of Kentucky, Benjamin Harrison, Sarah Perkins New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 17
books:
See all 17 books this book cites
- New England Girlhood by Lucy Larcom on 5 pages
- Treatise on Domestic Economy by Catherine Beecher on page 10, and page 12
- The American Frugal Housewife: Dedicated to Those Who Are Not Ashamed of Economy (Cooking in America) by Lydia Marie Child on page 1, and page 72
- Anonymous Was a Woman by Mirra Bank in Front Matter (1), and Front Matter (2)
- The American Frugal Housewife by M. Lydia Child on page 1, and page 72
See all 17 books this book cites
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