05/27/2026
Opening next week, REVOLUTION RETOLD features a wide range of iconic imagery from American history—from flasks and furnishing fabrics to contemporary prints. These works often depict celebrated Revolutionary figures and events, recalling the history and ideals associated with the nation’s founding. At the same time, the exhibition reveals an enduring fascination with the American Revolution and explores how we continue to look to the past to make sense of the present.
Nashua Manufacturing Company (American textile manufacturer, 1823‑1945), "Independence fabric" (detail), 1926, printed cotton plain weave. Allentown Art Museum: Gift of Kate Fowler Merle‑Smith, 1978. (1978.26.678)
John M. Swasey (American, active late 1800s), "George Washington" (detail), 1876, ink on paper. Allentown Art Museum: Gift of Pamela Miller Ness and Paul Marc Ness in memory of Professor and Mrs. Edwin Haviland Miller, 2003. (2003.39.7)
Walter Mitschke (American, born Germany, 1886–1972), "Betsy Ross / Liberty Bell dress fabric" (detail), from the "Early American" series, 1929, printed silk plain weave. Manufacturer: H. R. Mallinson & Company, Inc. Allentown Art Museum: Gift of Kate Fowler Merle‑Smith, 1978. (1978.26.707)
Artist once known (American), Furnishing fabric (for George Washington Bicentennial) (detail), 1932, printed cotton plain weave. Gift of Kate Fowler Merle‑Smith, 1978. (1978.26.455)
Sonday Family (American), Quilt (detail), 1940s, cotton, pieced and quilted. Gift of Milton Sonday, 2007. (2007.21.3)
