Archives We've Worn

One question raised in our class was whether or not clothing counts as “archival”. This is a great question! Here is my attempt to provide an answer:

Many archives don’t collect textiles and some archivists cringe at the idea of collecting textiles, clothing, etc. But there are a number of cultural institutions –- including archives -- that do collect textiles and costumes in order to ensure ongoing preservation and continued access to such resources. Researchers from many disciplines use these collections. In addition to the more predictable users (costume and fashion designers) other patrons include scholars from fields such as gender studies, architecture, consumer studies, religious studies, literary studies, etc..

Collections are found in libraries, archives, and museums, as well as private businesses. Some universities and colleges have also developed textile and costume collections (often as a resource for programs in textiles as well as fashion and apparel design).

Some examples of institutions that preserve textiles are:

• Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
• American Museum of Natural History maintains collections of historical First Nations and African clothing.
• American Textile History Museum contains a costume collection and textile samples as well as textual records (books, trade catalogs, business records and personal papers), graphic materials (prints and photographs), and machines used in manufacturing textiles.
• Scottish Textile Heritage Online is a digital project compiling textiles and costumes from six archives and museums within Scotland.
• Drexel Digital Museum Project: Historic Costume Collection is a joint initiative between the College of Information Science and Technology and the College of Design Arts and provides access to the textile and costume collection online.
• Victoria and Albert Museum has a collection of Fashion, Jewellery & Accessories as well as Textiles.

Often businesses in the textile and fashion industries also have corporate archives such as the Warner Textile Archive in England and the Calvin Klein archive in New York (sorry, no link!).

First image:
Costume Institute, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Court Dress, ca. 1750
British
Purchase, Irene Lewisohn Bequest, 1965 (C.I.65.13.1a–c)

Second image:
Victoria and Albert Museum
Formal men’s ensemble, ca. 1740-1750
British
Given by Sir Charles Hope Dunbar, Bt (2006AV6074)