BOOK REVIEW: Toile: The Storied Fabrics of Europe and America
February 3, 2004
NEW YORK - Aficionados and newcomers to the textile trade will undoubtedly take pleasure in Toile: The Storied Fabrics of Europe and America, by fabric enthusiast Michele Palmer.
Relating a tangible sophistication and wealth of knowledge and humor through its 173 glossy pages, Toile presents an easy-to-read guide to the history and variety of this sensational fabric genre.
The book begins with a historical introduction and value guide to toile, both of which engage the reader with fluid, down-to-earth prose. Palmer then devotes a chapter to each of eight categories: pastoral scenes, romantic scenes, recreation, transportation, Chinese motifs, Greek and Roman mythology, literary references and American heroes.
Palmer grew up playing with fabrics from her father's textile business, which motivated her to collect and exhibit antique and vintage fabrics. Eager to found a textile museum but daunted by the high cost of doing so, Palmer established an Internet museum at www.fabricmuseum.org, where she curates exhibits on fabric art, design and history. She published Toile, her first book, in 2003.
Each chapter begins with a brief introduction and brims with sharp, vibrant photos by Lori Beth Garris. Palmer supplies brief, often whimsical captions for each photo, often pointing out details that would otherwise likely go unnoticed. Beneath "L'Art d'Aimer", a 19th century print depicting lovers and cupids in a garden, Palmer writes that some "lovers are learning from experience that three's a crowd." Indeed, after careful searching, the reader's eye will fall upon a pair of lovers expressing shock at a young man peeking at them cuddling within the faulty privacy of tall grass.
The book also offers some surprises, such as an American teen-oriented 1960s fabric boasting a malt shop menu ("Hamburger……25C"), Seventeen magazine and a rotary phone, and a 1958 fabric entitled "Suburbia," which features kids hula hooping and dads mowing the lawn or parking cars beside their neat, middle-class houses.
The fabrics also tell much about the history of the countries in which they were made. "Homage de l'Amerique a la France" from 1783 poignantly depicts America – personified by two American Indians, a black slave, and a trapper wearing a coonskin cap and carrying a 14-starred American flag – paying tribute to France, represented by a crowned figure, for its help in winning the American War of Independence.
The impressive "Eisenhower Toile" from 1956 depicts a fabric Mamie Eisenhower commissioned and wore on the campaign trail. The toile features buildings and symbols relevant to the former president, such as the White House, West Point Military Academy, the American eagle and an elephant.
The back of the book features a fabulous resource guide replete with lists of books, museums, retail outlets, antique textile dealers and fabric companies that specialize in toile, along with photographs of rooms decked out in the stuff.
Toile: The Storied Fabrics of Europe and America ($34.95), is available at select bookstores or at Schiffer Publishing in Atglen, Pennsylvania. Tel: 001.610.593.1777. Fax: 001.610.593.2002. Website: www.schifferbooks.com.
Relating a tangible sophistication and wealth of knowledge and humor through its 173 glossy pages, Toile presents an easy-to-read guide to the history and variety of this sensational fabric genre.
The book begins with a historical introduction and value guide to toile, both of which engage the reader with fluid, down-to-earth prose. Palmer then devotes a chapter to each of eight categories: pastoral scenes, romantic scenes, recreation, transportation, Chinese motifs, Greek and Roman mythology, literary references and American heroes.
Palmer grew up playing with fabrics from her father's textile business, which motivated her to collect and exhibit antique and vintage fabrics. Eager to found a textile museum but daunted by the high cost of doing so, Palmer established an Internet museum at www.fabricmuseum.org, where she curates exhibits on fabric art, design and history. She published Toile, her first book, in 2003.
Each chapter begins with a brief introduction and brims with sharp, vibrant photos by Lori Beth Garris. Palmer supplies brief, often whimsical captions for each photo, often pointing out details that would otherwise likely go unnoticed. Beneath "L'Art d'Aimer", a 19th century print depicting lovers and cupids in a garden, Palmer writes that some "lovers are learning from experience that three's a crowd." Indeed, after careful searching, the reader's eye will fall upon a pair of lovers expressing shock at a young man peeking at them cuddling within the faulty privacy of tall grass.
The book also offers some surprises, such as an American teen-oriented 1960s fabric boasting a malt shop menu ("Hamburger……25C"), Seventeen magazine and a rotary phone, and a 1958 fabric entitled "Suburbia," which features kids hula hooping and dads mowing the lawn or parking cars beside their neat, middle-class houses.
The fabrics also tell much about the history of the countries in which they were made. "Homage de l'Amerique a la France" from 1783 poignantly depicts America – personified by two American Indians, a black slave, and a trapper wearing a coonskin cap and carrying a 14-starred American flag – paying tribute to France, represented by a crowned figure, for its help in winning the American War of Independence.
The impressive "Eisenhower Toile" from 1956 depicts a fabric Mamie Eisenhower commissioned and wore on the campaign trail. The toile features buildings and symbols relevant to the former president, such as the White House, West Point Military Academy, the American eagle and an elephant.
The back of the book features a fabulous resource guide replete with lists of books, museums, retail outlets, antique textile dealers and fabric companies that specialize in toile, along with photographs of rooms decked out in the stuff.
Toile: The Storied Fabrics of Europe and America ($34.95), is available at select bookstores or at Schiffer Publishing in Atglen, Pennsylvania. Tel: 001.610.593.1777. Fax: 001.610.593.2002. Website: www.schifferbooks.com.
