Early American Decorative Arts, 1620-1860: A Handbook for Interpreters (American Association for State and Local History)
WithEarly American Decorative Arts, 1620-1860: A Handbook for Interpreters, authors Rosemary Troy Krill and Pauline K. Eversmann have produced a guide with broad appeal. Historic house interpreters comprise the primary audence, but any student of material culture will find it useful for understanding American decorative arts within a proper historical context....The handbook presents an organized and multidisciplinary approach to a very broad subject. (Patricia Phillips Marshall, Office of Archives and HistoryNorth Carolina Historical Review)The details in the chapters on specific items... offer new information for even veteran interpreters while the introductory chapters help to explain the vital and exciting role museum interpreters play in the enjoyment and understanding of our past. The layout allows for easy reference on specific topics and the chapter-specific bibliography allows for further study on one's own... Given the fact that few institutions have the in-house resources of the Winterthur Museum, this book will be very useful, especially for smaller institutions looking for some basic reference works without having to purchase an entire library. (Bruce A. Whitmarsh, Decatur House MuseumThe Public Historian)Those who teach or are students in courses on American decorative arts, antiques collectors, museum educators, interpreters, and others will find this work useful and challenging...Early American Decorative Artsis a helpful guide to how we can look at and understand historic furnishings of all time periods. Museum curators and educators will find its ideas about interpreting museum exhibitions through interactive analysis of objects and their histories by guides and visitors especially intriguing. (Mary S. Hoffschwelle, Middle Tennessee State UniversityNorth Dakota History, Vol. 70, No. 2, 2003)The book is of exceptional interest as a comprehensive history of the decorative arts on the East Coast of the USA. (Glenn R. Cooke, Queensland Art Gallery (Australia)Museum National)