Early American Decorative Arts, 1620-1860

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library is renowned for its decorative arts collection. An indispensable guide for curators, educators, interpreters, and students of decorative arts, this revised and enhanced edition includes a color CD of the impressive black and white photographs of the Winterthur collections that illustrate the book.

Winterthur Museum is world renowned for its decorative arts collections and its exceptional educational programs. Adapted from the training materials developed at the museum, the revised and enhanced Early American Decorative Arts, 1620-1860: A Handbook for Interpreters is an indispensable guide for anyone involved with interpretation of decorative arts collections. Early American Decorative Arts, 1620-1860 elucidates the principles of public interpretation, explains how to analyze objects, and defines the concept of style. Eighteen chapters provide comprehensive descriptions of decorative arts including furniture, ceramics, textiles, paintings and prints, metalwork, glass, and other objects. Many museums and historic sites display such collections to thousands of visitors annually. Guides, interpreters, educators, and collection managers will find this book a helpful summary and a guide to further research. This enhanced edition includes now includes a CD featuring beautiful color images of the more than 170 black-and-white photographs in the book, bringing the Winterthur collections to life on your computer and in your classroom. Published in cooperation with Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library.

Chapter 1 Preface and Acknowledgements
Chapter 2 Introduction
Part 3 Part I
Chapter 4 Chapter 1. Interpreting Decorative Arts Objects
Chapter 5 Chapter 2. Looking at Objects
Chapter 6 Chapter 3. Understanding Style
Part 7 Part II
Chapter 8 Chapter 4. Furniture in the Seventeenth-Century or Mannerist Style
Chapter 9 Chapter 5. Furniture in the William and Mary or Early Baroque Style
Chapter 10 Chapter 6. Furniture in the Queen Anne or Late Baroque Style
Chapter 11 Chapter 7. Furniture in the Chippendale or Rococo Style
Chapter 12 Chapter 8. Furniture in the Federal or Early Classical-Revival Style
Chapter 13 Chapter 9. Furniture in the Empire or Late Classical-Revival Style
Chapter 14 Chapter 10. Windsor Furniture
Chapter 15 Chapter 11. Clocks
Chapter 16 Chapter 12. Ceramics
Chapter 17 Chapter 13. Glassware
Chapter 18 Chapter 14. Silver Objects
Chapter 19 Chapter 15. Pewter Objects
Chapter 20 Chapter 16. Iron, Copper, and Copper Alloy Objects
Chapter 21 Chapter 17. Paintings and Pictures
Chapter 22 Chapter 18. Prints
Chapter 23 Chapter 19. Textiles
Chapter 24 Chapter 20. Needlework
Chapter 25 Chapter 21. Floor Coverings
Chapter 26 Index