The collection provides a rich resource for research. Over time, it will help historians and scientists explore the evolution of textiles, technology and quilting. This is the world's largest publicly held quilt collection, with examples dating from the late 1700s to the 1990s made in the United States, Europe and Japan. Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources researchers have the tools to analyze quilts' material, artistry and history. Viewed with the knowledgeable eyes of textile scientists, magnifying glasses show early printing methods, such as hand, block or copper plate prints or later processes such as roller printing, a printing press-like process developed in the late 1700s.
Researchers use a variety of tools to solve textile puzzles hidden in quilts.
Thread counters indicate whether similar-looking fabrics came from the same quilt. Light microscopes identify fiber, and stereomicroscopes offer three-dimensional views of yarn and weave structure. Microscopic analysis, the only sure way to identify fiber content, is essential for dating fabric and learning when fibers began being used. For example, evidence of acrylic yarn dates a quilt to the 1950s or later. Chemical solubility tests detect synthetic fibers' composition.