About the Talk
Nestled among the rolling green hills of the English countryside is an outstanding collection of American quilts. Gathered by American Museum & Gardens founders, Dallas Pratt and John Judkyn, this collection comprises over 250 quilts, from the eighteenth to the mid-twentieth century. It is the finest of its type in Europe and the equal of many premier collections in the USA.
The Chief Curator of the American Museum tells the story of how this remarkable collection came to be founded and the people involved in shaping it. The presentation will feature some of the highlights of the collection, such as early whole-cloth quilts, pieced and appliquéd work, Hawaiian and Amish quilts, and some of the more unusual and quirky designs.
About the Author
Kate Hebert is the Chief Curator at the American Museum & Gardens. Her responsibilities include the care and presentation of over 12,000 collection items of American decorative arts within a Grade-1 listed building. As a keen quilter in her spare time, the opportunity to work with the outstanding collection of 250 world renowned American quilts at the Museum is particularly appealing. She has written two books about the quilt collection; Quilts at the American Museum & Gardens (Kulturalis, 2025) and Classic Quilts at the American Museum (Scala, 2010).
This program is held in partnership with the American Museum & Gardens in Bath, England.