Quilts in Everyday Life, 1855-1955



Quilts in Everyday Life, 1855-1955 by Janet E. Finley

 Quilts in Everyday Life, 1855-1955
A 100 Year Photographic History

It is my pleasure to introduce you to the book, Quilts in Everyday Life, 1855-1955.  This book is not the ordinary quilt book.  Inside, you are going to find fascinating pictures and stories of the people seen in those pictures.  You are going to find history of the quilts, clothing, time period, photographers, towns, and people.  Almost every picture (more than 325 images selected from the author's collection) has a quilt in it. 

Janet E. Finley, the author, is from Colorado.  She is a former Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, Colorado.  Janet has been a member of the American Quilt Study Group for 12 years and is a past president of the Columbine Quilt Guild. 

I have a special interest in the book.  Janet and I became friends because of one of her pictures that appeared in a magazine (it is also in the book).  The picture had the photographer's name at the bottom, Kiddoo.  How many people are named Kiddoo (time period 1895)?  The bells went off in my head - Kiddoo!!!  I quickly checked my genealogy.  Louise Kiddoo, the photographer's sister married the brother of my third great grandmother.  This started a new friendship.  I told her about Kiddoo. So thus, from Kiddoo, I had the honor of doing much of the research about the people and places in her photos. 

My husband's great grandparents, Edmund and Cerelda Chambers, with her string quilt also appear in the book. 

Edmund and Cerelda Chambers

Quilts in Everyday Life, 1855-1955 is available through Schiffer Publishers.  Anyone who is interested in quilts, photography or history will enjoy this book.