ABSTRACT
Textiles were at the forefront of American trade, industry, and consumer culture and design innovation in mid-century: the golden age of American textiles. During the 1940s textiles from the Organic exhibit were among those featured in the museum's annual Useful Objects and Design Trends exhibitions, for which the museum again partnered with manufacturers and retailers to showcase new fabric patterns and new approaches. Modern Textile Design was intended as a survey of woven and printed fabrics, by hand and machine, from leading professional designers of printed fabrics and weavers. Textiles figured prominently in the popular and successful Good Design series of exhibitions held at MoMA and the Chicago Merchandise Mart annually from 1950 to 1955, the year Kaufmann left the museum. Two large and significant shows of non-Western art, Ancient Art of the Andes and Textiles and Ornamental Arts of India provided viewers with new perspectives on the role of textiles to the societies through scholarly analysis and sophisticated installations.
