Quilts of the Ohio Western Reserve — 2005

“Clark has rightly earned the moniker of being one of America’s foremost quilt historians.”

Ohioana Quarterly

“Ricky Clark, one of America’s revered quilt historians, has pulled together great examples of quilts from Ohio that show the influence of New England on a unique region of Northeastern Ohio.... Take a quilt-history lesson right in your own home with Ricky Clark as your teacher and enjoy the surprising quilts along the way.”

Quilts of the Ohio Western Reserve includes early quilts brought from Connecticut to the Western Reserve in northeastern Ohio and contemporary quilts, including one by a conservative Amish woman and another inspired by Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Ricky Clark, one of Ohio's foremost quilt historians, has assembled exquisite examples of calamanco, "T" quilts, and borderless pieced quilts to show the influence of Connecticut aesthetics and history on the making of early quilts in this region. Rich in color, detail, and inventiveness, and often beautifully designed, the quilts of this region commemorate community history, from town fundraisers of the 1890s to a quilt designed by a Lake Erie shipbuilder. Sections of the book include quilts made during the Civil War and for postwar veterans' organizations as well as military and presidential quilts that relate to the history of the Western Reserve.

Quilt design in Ohio has been celebrated in biennial exhibits, round-robin quilts, and most recently proudly painted on barns in rural Ohio. Quilts of the Ohio Western Reserve, lavishly illustrated with forty color photos of quilts, launches the Ohio Quilt Series. A welcome addition to Ohio's cultural legacy, this book will interest the wider world of quilt and textile enthusiasts and historians.

Ricky Clark is an affiliate scholar associated with Oberlin College and the author of several works on Ohio Quilts, including, as coauthor, Quilts in Community: Ohio’s Traditions.