American handicrafts from the early years of the Republic are telling indicators of family traditions, aesthetic values, and household customs of the young nation. Showing us how creative and consumer cultures from the old world were transformed in the new, "Expressions of Innocence and Eloquence" presents more than two hundred examples of American folk art and decorative arts created in New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia in the 18th and 19th centuries. Drawn from the extraordinary "Jane Katcher Collection", the book features familiar expressions of American folk art - portraits and carvings, quilts and needlework, weathervanes and whirligigs, family records and calligraphy, ceramics, furniture, baskets, and toys, as well as such unexpected items as valentines, friendship albums, and keepsakes woven from the hair of loved ones. A distinguished group of scholars discuss these objects within the context of historical, economic, and social issues as well as aesthetics. There are also explorations of craft methods and artistic strategies practiced by the artists and artisans represented in the collection. Separate essays on the Shaker and the Pennsylvania-German communities concentrate on the unique features of their material cultures and their religious and social orientations. With more than 100 previously unreproduced works, this generously illustrated book is essential for anyone interested in American folk art or decorative arts.