In Style September 30, 2009

'In Style' offers an overview of the characteristics that distinguish the eight major design styles popular in America between 1640 and 1860. Glancing along the length of the gallery, the visitor can see how specific objects changed in response to fashion -- How a picture frame became more or less ornate, how chairs became more comfortable, or how textile design responded to fashionable imagery. Each period vignette has similar objects, but the changes in line, color and ornamentation illustrate a particular fashionable taste, creating an excellent introduction to American decorative arts.