Mary Bywater Cross
Mary Bywater Cross, an independent scholar in the field of quilt history since 1981, takes the value of quilts as visual records of human experience beyond the confines of the traditional quilting world to the broader public. Her research has resulted in two books and numerous articles on quilts of migration, made by and for women who traveled the Oregon and Mormon Trails. She curated exhibits of historic and contemporary quilts for regional museums and educational institutions and lectured in Canada, England, and across America. She traveled Oregon as an Oregon Council of Humanities Chautauqua Speaker for six years. Since 2010, Mary has been active as advisor and grant writer for the Oregon Quilt Documentation Project Committee.
Author's Entries
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Oregon Trail quilts
Quilts made by and for women who traveled the Oregon Trail between 1840 and 1870 are known as Oregon Trail quilts. They were often made over an extended period of time or a sweep of distance and can be considered quilts of migration. Unlike quilts made for warmth and protection, …
Oregon Encyclopedia
