Vintage 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century quilts from the significant Western Reserve Historical Society collection are on display for the first time in nearly 20 years. The new exhibition, "Under the Covers," is open now through October 2010 in the Chisholm Halle Costume Wing of the Society’s University Circle Complex.

Highlights of the 30 quilts on display include an 18th-century pieced quilt made from dressmaking remnants and worn garments, and a 19th-century presentation quilt made by the Daughters of the American Revolution and presented to President and Mrs. William McKinley. A third significant piece is a Centennial/Bicentennial quilt that was 100 years in the making. Donor Arnold Hegy Savage’s great aunt pieced portions of this quilt in 1876, when she was six years old. In 1976, Mr. Savage completed the quilt using blocks made by his

"This exhibition displays quilts as historical artifacts, and not only as room dressing," said Dean Zimmerman, Chief Curator of the Western Reserve Historical Society. "Quilts are regularly displayed in our period rooms at the University Circle Complex and in the historic homes at Hale Farm & Village, but in this exhibit, quilts stand on their own as decorative objects and historical documents." The display also includes furniture, decorative arts, and objects that relate to quilt design and quilt making.