Virtually Vail

Vail Public Library has 4 digital collections: Vintage Vail Quilt, Vail Valley Voices, Vail Area History, and Art in Vail.

To access the digital records, click on the “Virtually Vail” tile in the online catalog or the links below to view individual collections.


Vintage Vail Quilt

The Vintage Vail Quilt that hangs in Vail Public Library’s Community Room was donated to the Town of Vail, in 1982, by a group of 21 women who created the quilt to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Vail. The quilt has been on display in the library since 1986.

Each of the quilt squares depicts a different scene that represents an aspect of the Town of Vail. The various images were constructed by appliqué and embroidery techniques. Each square contains an embroidered title, date, and signature. Twenty-one women contributed to the making of the quilt, so the stitching lengths and methods vary somewhat. All of the stitching, including the embroidery, appliqué, quilting, and piecing stitches appear to be done by hand. When the quilt was hung in the library in 1986, it had to be modified to fit the available space by removing 2 of the original squares (Golden Peak and Lionshead Gondola). This modification means only 19 of the women had panels that were included in the final quilt.

The quilt squares are assembled in rows and the quilting stitches are carried out using white thread. The pattern of the quilting stitches matches that of the design of each square. The backing is a solid, dark green fabric. There is a ¾” binding in the same green fabric that finishes the edges of the quilt.

The quilt was appraised, received conservation treatment and was professionally cleaned in 2012 in preparation for its new permanent location in the library’s Community Room. Funds for the quilt’s restoration came from the Friends of Vail Public Library.

The items in this digital collection include photographs of the quilt and its panels, the book titled “Vintage Vail Quilt,” oral histories recorded from several of the women who participated in the quilt’s creation, assorted personal photographs, and a copy of the original letter from the Mayor of Vail, Rodney Slifer, accepting the gift of the quilt in December of 1982.


Vail Valley Voices

Vail Valley Voices is a collection of oral histories from folks who have made the Vail Valley and the Eagle River Valley their home. Some of these people were born here; most came from someplace else before they called Eagle County home. Many of those who are interviewed have supplied photographs related to their lives to accompany their oral histories.


Vail Area History

The Vail Area History Collection focused on the history of Eagle County, Colorado, and the community of Vail. Resources include photographs and images, brief biography,  historical manuscripts and essays, descriptions and concise histories of organizations and events, plus local geographic feature descriptions.


Art in Vail

The Art in Public Places (AIPP) program is one of many culturally oriented programs in the Vail Valley. The intention of the program is to assemble a collection of works of art in public places which is educational, attractive to residents and guests, and of an overall aesthetic quality equal to the excellent international reputation the town enjoys as a resort.

The Town’s public art collection includes over 45 works ranging from painting, sculptures, murals, playground components, to site-integrated art. A full-color printed map of Vail’s public art collection is available at the Vail Village and Lionshead Welcome Centers and the Vail Public Library. There is also an interactive map at www.artinvail.com.