This is an extraordinary exhibition of quilts made by military men from their army or naval uniforms. They were made by soldiers, sailors and regimental tailors using richly dyed, felted wools – the military fabrics of the past three-hundred years. They reveal service in the Prussian, Napoleonic, and Crimean wars, and in British India. But of special relevance in this exhibition are the Australian quilts from World Wars I and II, including those made by prisoners of war.

The ancient craft of quilting arose from two basic needs: protection and decoration. From primeval times, fur covers stitched together ensured that countless generations were insulated from the cold. The vitality of quilting remains undiminished in the popularity of patchwork bed covers made for warmth, personal expression and aesthetic pleasure.

Historical quilts with striking geometric designs, exotic animals, and scenes of battle are some of the rare textiles included in the collection compiled by quilt expert, Dr Annette Gero. Her collection is regarded as a national treasure, and since Dr Gero’s far-reaching research spans the globe, she exhibits internationally, notably in major European centres. Her acclaimed 2017 exhibition, War and Pieced, was presented at the American Folk Art Museum, New York.

Seldom seen in other textile exhibitions are examples of rare intarsia quilts, in which very small pieces of heavy military fabric are exactly inlaid (not appliquéd), like mosaic pieces or marquetry in wood. Some contain as many as 25,000 pieces of fabric that make up one mosaic-like quilt! “There are fewer than 100 of these quilts in the world, and no two are alike,” says Dr Gero. “Treasured as family heirlooms or stored in military museums, these quilts have rarely seen the light of day – until now. The incredible beauty of these quilts is amplified by the facts of their creation. Stitched whilst at war or while interned in prisoner-of-war camps the quilts show man’s determination to create beauty out of the fear and dread of war.”

Indeed, the quilts made of pieced geometric patterns stitched by soldiers at the front are well represented in this exhibition. But Dr Gero’s research points to the fact that her most elaborate wartime quilts were sewn by the military or regimental tailors who were probably commissioned to make a quilt to celebrate a victory. These were master tailors, highly trained and skilled. Whether appointed to make a commemorative quilt or whether they chose to invent a quilt to show off their expertise in trade, the military tailors represented in this exhibition certainly possessed dazzling manual dexterity and creative imagination. 

Dr Gero classes her quilts in two groups: those commissioned and made for important people and those made by soldiers during World Wars I and II. Her recent research on the first group has revealed a fascinating link to paintings and etchings: many of the quilts were bespoke commissions for prominent notables of their day and were deliberate copies of famous works of art. They are elaborate pictorial panels using the compositions of popular etchings and paintings as templates. 

The second group made by soldiers was an accidental discovery through a phone call informing Dr Gero of a quilt pictured in the Gympie Times, featuring a double-headed eagle. “This made me aware”, she said, “that immigrants had bought extraordinary old quilts from their homeland when they came to Australia, the double-headed eagle representing so much of Europe during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. And of course, other quilts reside here from British wars as well…” A second one turned up at Christie’s in London at auction. Dr Gero expected to bid against every museum in the world. However, she was the only bidder. At that time no one really understood what these war quilts made from military fabrics were. 

The Annette Gero Collection at Cairns Art Gallery joins a select number of cultural venues to host this prestigious private collection, and she is pleased to have curated a special collection for Cairns. Her choices include – among the other irreplaceable treasures – several Australian wartime quilts. Made by Australian soldiers who were captured or held in camps or were stitched when they returned to Australia, they cut up their uniforms to create a vivid memory for themselves or to give to their loved ones and families at home.

Accompanying the exhibition is Dr Gero’s catalogue, Wartime Quilts: Appliqués and Geometric Masterpieces from Military Fabrics. This richly illustrated book was reviewed by the New York Times as one of the best art and design publications of 2023 and will be available at the Gallery Shop.