Printed Textiles: British and American Cottons and Linens 1700–1850

Florence Montgomery's 1970 book on textiles—those made or used in America or Britain between 1700 and 1850—is revered on both sides of the pond. Forty-five years later, Eaton (textiles, Winterthur Museum; Quilts in a Material World) has fully revised and updated Montgomery's work in this beautiful volume. The 600 illustrations (black-and-white photographs in the original book) have all been rephotographed in color, and Eaton has added images of more than 100 pieces acquired by Winterthur since 1970. The revised text highlights Montgomery's work while incorporating scholarship produced since its publication. The author begins with a comprehensive history of British and American textile printing, one of the fastest-growing and most lucrative industries of its time. She discusses how designers used the fabrics in upholstery, window curtains, and slipcovers with regard to craft and style and how innovations in chemistry and technology influenced fabric production and design. The volume concludes with a 200-page catalog of textiles from Winterthur's collection.