The Weaver's Craft: Cloth, Commerce, and Industry in Early Pennsylvania (Early American Studies) [Hardcover]

Adrienne D. Hood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 3, 2003 | Series: Early American Studies

Cloth was one of the most important commodities in the early modern world, and colonial North Americans had to develop creative strategies to acquire it. Although early European settlers came from societies in which hand textile production was central to the economy, local conditions in North America interacted with traditional craft structures to create new patterns of production and consumption. The Weaver's Craft examines the development of cloth manufacture in early Pennsylvania from its roots in seventeenth-century Europe to the beginning of industrialization.

Adrienne D. Hood's focus on Pennsylvania and the long sweep of history yields a new understanding of the complexities of early American fabric production and the regional variations that led to distinct experiences of industrialization. Drawing on an extensive array of primary sources, combined with a quantitative approach, the author argues that in contrast to New England, rural Pennsylvania women spun the yarn that a small group of trained male artisans wove into cloth on a commercial basis throughout the eighteenth century. Their production was considerably augmented by consumers purchasing cheap cloth from Europe and Asia, making them active participants in a global marketplace. Hood's painstaking research and numerous illustrations of textile equipment, swatch books, and consumer goods will be of interest to both scholars and craftspeople.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a . . . a real model of how to reconstruct craft processes and organization. In my view, the publication of this book is long overdue."—Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, author of The Age of Homespun: Objects and Stories in the Creation of an American Myth

"If American studies scholars needed an example of how local history can be writ large, they can effectively point to this study of weavers in Chester County, Pennsylvania."—American Studies

"An enjoyable and informative read. It stands as a worthwhile addition to the study of crafts and their relationship to markets and market development."—Journal of American History

"Readers of The Weaver's Craft will come away with a new appreciation of the role of textiles in our world and the sophisticated tasks and histories that hide behind the glossy pictures of today's fashion magazines."—Journal of the Early Republic

"This thorough study . . . should interest both general readers and scholars of social, economic, and labor history"—Choice

"The Weaver's Craft examines the development of cloth manufacture in early Pennsylvania from its roots in seventeenth-century Europe to the beginning of industrialization. The focus on Pennsylvania and the long sweep of history yields a new understanding of the complexities of early American fabric production and the regional variations that led to distinct experiences of industrialization."—Pennsylvania Heritage

"Historians and curators of cloth, clothing, and dress have looked forward to the appearance of this volume. . . . They will not be disappointed. . . .This fine book will remain a standard in the field for many years to come."—Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography

About the Author

Adrienne D. Hood teaches history at the University of Toronto. She is a former curator of textiles at the Royal Ontario Museum.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press (July 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812237358
• ISBN-13: 978-0812237351
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,175,298 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Will prove of immense interest for scholars, December 11, 2003

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Weaver's Craft: Cloth, Commerce, and Industry in Early Pennsylvania (Early American Studies) (Hardcover)

The Weaver's Craft: Cloth, Commerce, And Industry In Early Pennsylvania is a thoughtful and scholarly study by academician, historian, and museum curator Adrienne D. Hood, of the development of cloth manufacture in Pennsylvania from the seventeenth century to the dawn of the industrial age. Combining primary sources and a quantitative approach, The Weaver's Craft focuses especially on the textile markets that became so wide-ranging they were virtually a precursor to the modern globalized age. Recommended for both academic and community library collections, The Weaver's Craft will prove of immense interest for scholars, crafts workers, and non-specialist general readers alike.