Adele Bishop (1927-1996), was instrumental in reviving the popularity of decorative stencils in the United States. Stenciling, an early American art form, became the focus of her life in the 1950"s after she read a book about it and began reproducing some designs at her home in East Hampton, Long Island. From that start, she built a custom stenciling business, adding a partner, Cile Lord, in 1960. Together they produced stencil kits designed for do-it-yourselfers and wrote "The Art of Decorative Stenciling" (Viking, 1976), a book still used as a reference guidefor all those interested in stenciling. Until her death, Miss Bishop remained active as a designer and consultant.