Over 30 years ago, Fleur Bresler purchased her first quilt: an occurrence that was, for her, both magical and momentous. What began as a personal hobby soon evolved into an overwhelming passion to learn about quilts—inside and out. Printed fabrics enthralled her. Quirky appliqué designs tickled her fancy. Clever designs intrigued her. Over a quarter of a century later, Fleur Bresler had established an impressive and historically important collection of quilts.

Between 2000 and 2001, Fleur and Charles Bresler gifted their 36-piece American quilt collection to the Mint Museum of Craft + Design in Charlotte, North Carolina. Historically vast, the collection features a diversity of designs which illuminate both pattern and process. The collection ranges from late eighteenth and early nineteenth century whole cloth, white work, indigo resist dye and block printed chintz quilts to mid nineteenth century appliqué, stenciled, mosaic-template pieced and album quilts. It also includes fine examples of late nineteenth century log cabin, crazy and charm quilts as well as a handful of unique quilts from the twentieth century.

These quilts hold within their layers a wealth of information about the people and times in which they were made and offer a glimpse of the creative human spirit. The quilters, many of whom are anonymous, made extraordinary artistic works out of ordinary materials. Their work has become an enduring legacy, a timeless inspiration to us all.

American Quilt Classics, 1800 - 1980: The Bresler Collection has been organized by the Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Charlotte, North Carolina. Local viewing made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the City of Bellevue.