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They have also produced a 35-minute video documentary "Palestinian Costumes and Embroidery: A Precious Legacy."
Hanan, meanwhile, has for the past ten years researched Middle Eastern textiles and embroidery, giving lectures at museums, universities, ADC conventions, cultural societies, schools and at West Point Military Academy.
Today, the Munayyer Collection is one of the most extensive of its kind in the world. It consists of over 250 traditional Palestinian and Syrian costumes representing various areas, with some costumes dating back to the 1860s. The collection, though, is more than costumes, for it includes museum-quality "accessories," such as jewelry; glassware; crafts and art objects bringing the collection's "items" total to over 1,000.
"We feel that we are rekindling history," says Hanan. "Traditional embroidery was a dying art" found only in museums and in the "hands of antiques merchants."
Although, at one time, each dress represented a specific Palestinian or Syrian village and maker, today, dresses generally all follow the same style. But, Farah points out, contemporary embroidery is again flowering in Palestinian camps.
And for their part, the Munayyers are keeping traditional Palestinian and Syrian embroidery and culture alive in the US.
"Young Arab-American men and women who took part in our shows developed a genuine pride in their heritage," say Farah and Hanan. "They came to view these costumes not as pieces of clothing, but as pieces of history. More importantly, people who had never before seen artistic or cultural material from the Arab world walked away from the library exhibits with a great appreciation for the intricacy and beauty of the dresses and jewelry and respect for the people who created them.
"Each time we see the glimmer of pride in a Palestinian child's eyes as we display this heritage, or feel the excitement of an American audience upon viewing and discussing this little-known aspect of art history, we know that we are one step further on a long and arduous, but immensely rewarding road."
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The dazzling colors, stitches, patterns and dignity that makes the traditional dress of Palestine has for centuries expressed the pride and regional identity of the wearer, whether nomadic Bedouin or resident of the towns and villages.
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To order contact the Palestinian Heritage Foundation