Torrey Quilt Collection Explained

The Ella King Torrey Collection of African American Quilts and other Recent Quilt Acquisitions is a collection of African American quilts that were procured from 1980 to 1983 by Ella King Torrey during her fieldwork with art historian Maude Southwell Wahlman.

The collection of 13 quilts includes a hand quilt by Mississippi quilter Sarah Mary Taylor that was made for the film The Color Purple as well as an appliquéd word quilt of hers. Two of the collection's quilts are by Taylor's mother, Pearlie Posey (1894–1984).^{[1] [2]} The collection also includes the "Log Cabin" quilt by Georgia quilter Arester Earl, which Ella King Torrey exhibited in her dining room.^[3]

See also

• The Quilts of Gee's Bend

Further reading

• Quilt Stories: The Ella King Torrey Collection of African American Quilts and Other Recent Quilt Acquisitions (2008) Philadelphia Museum of Art

Notes and References

1. News: Che. Jenny. Philadelphia Museum of Art to Show Two Centuries of Black Artists. Wall Street Journal. December 12, 2014.
2. Web site: Mississippi Encyclopedia. Taylor. Sarah Mary. March 11, 2020. March 11, 2020.
3. Web site: Serrell. Allison. 2001-12-19. Ella King Torrey / Art Institute president's collections have a story to tell. 2020-08-09. SFGate.