ONLINE DATABASES & GATEWAYS
NOTE
Collections, research centres, and research projects with online databases are listed here, as well as in the following lists:
FURTHER RESOURCES: COLLECTIONS
FURTHER RESOURCES: RESEARCH CENTRES AND PROJECTS
SECTION 1: Online databases of dress/textile collections
SECTION 2: Online databases and gateways which may assist the study of dress/textiles
SECTION 1
Online databases of dress/textile collections
BATH FASHION MUSEUM
UK
http://www.museumofcostume.co.uk/
The collection includes examples of: menswear, womenswear, accessories, dresses, coats, jackets, corsets, knitwear, fashion photographs, pockets, shirts, blouses, waistcoats, fans. The earliest pieces in the collection are embroidered shirts and gloves from about 1600. The most up-to-date pieces in the collection are summer dresses from 2007.
An online searchable collections database is available:
http://www.fashionmuseum.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=collection.search
BRIGHTON AND HOVE MUSEUMS
UK
http://www.virtualmuseum.info/
Costume and Textile Collection:
http://www.virtualmuseum.info/collections/cHome_costume.asp
Decorative Arts Collection:
http://www.virtualmuseum.info/collections/cHome_decorativeart.asp
The Costume collection includes items of men's, women's and children's clothing and accessories from the early 17th century to the present day. The textile collection includes holdings of needlework from the mid 17th century, and includes 18th and 19th samplers.
The Decorative Art collections can be found throughout Brighton and Hove’s museums. The contents of Preston Manor, a historic house, include the Macquoid Bequest of 16th and 17th century furniture. Jewellery is also part of the Decorative Art collections.
Online searchable collections database:
http://www.virtualmuseum.info/collections/advancedSearch.asp
BRITISH MUSEUM
UK
Department of Prehistory and Europe:
http://www.britishmuseum.org/the_museum/departments/prehistory_and_europe.aspx
The British Museum's collection of seven million objects is worldwide in origin and is intended for use by the citizens of the world. The Museum collaborates on exhibitions, skills-sharing, and research with many international partners. These partnerships bring new insights into the collection, and help create new understandings of our changing world.
The Department of Prehistory and Europe is responsible for collections that cover a vast expanse of time from the earliest human tools in Africa and Asia two million years ago to the art and archaeology of Europe from the earliest times to the present day, including the history of Britain under Roman occupation. The Department currently has eleven galleries displaying highlights from its collections. As well as exhibitions, we are involved in a wide range of research, excavations and publications and also actively communicate with the public through radio and television programmes and the new media.
An online searchable collections database is available:
http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/search_the_collection_database.aspx
COSTUME AND TEXTILE STUDY CENTRE - NORFOLK MUSEUMS AND ARCHAEOLOGY SERVICE
UK
http://www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk/default.asp?Document=210.10x1
The Costume and Textile Study Centre collects, preserves, and provides access to its collection of British clothing, accessories, needlecrafts and home furnishings dating from the 18th century to the present day. For the first time the entire collection of over 20,000 items is accessible to the public.
An online searchable database of the collections including dress and textiles is available:
http://museums.norfolk.gov.uk/default.asp?document=300
COSTUME INSTITUTE – METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
USA
Costume Institute:
The Costume Institute houses a collection of more than thirty thousand costumes and accessories spanning five continents and as many centuries.
See: http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/department.asp?dep=8
Antonio Ratti Textile Center:
Previously dispersed among the various curatorial departments according to the cultures that produced them, most of the Museum's textile holdings are now gathered in the Antonio Ratti Textile Center. The textile collection includes examples from all of the world's civilizations and from almost every period in history. Among the 35,000 pieces are archaeological fragments, tapestries, carpets, quilts, ecclesiastical vestments, silks, embroideries, laces, velvets, and more, dating from 3000 BC to the present.
See: http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/antonio_ratti_textile_center
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts:
The 50,000 objects in the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in the major Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century. The department's holdings cover the following areas: sculpture in many sizes and media, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, metalwork and jewelry, horological and mathematical instruments, and tapestries and textiles.
See: http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/introduction.asp?dep=12
Arms and Armor:
The collection of armor, edged weapons, and firearms in consists of approximately 15,000 objects that range in date from about 400 B.C. to the nineteenth century. Western Europe and Japan are the regions most strongly represented. The focus is on outstanding craftsmanship and decoration—that is, items often intended solely for display rather than for actual use, from minute ornamental sword fittings to full suits of armor.
See: http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/introduction.asp?dep=4
Online searchable collections database (all departments):
http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/collection_database/
HAMPSHIRE MUSEUMS SERVICE
UK
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/museum/dress-and-textiles.htm
Extensive collections on the archaeology, history, art and environment of the county are on display in various museums, and also held in reserve at stores in Winchester. The Historic Dress and Textiles Collections include the following: embroideries from the 17th century and dress and accessories from the 18th century onwards - women's late 19th and 20th century clothes are particularly well represented as are christening gowns, patchwork quilts, samplers, smocks and fashion plates. Textiles explore the range of fabrics and designs and methods of decoration for both clothing and domestic furnishings.
Searchable online databases are available for some parts of the costume collection.
Collections Page (overview):
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/museum/collections.htm
Boots and Shoes Collections:
http://hcms.firstoption.net/peach2cms/SiteResources/hcms_shoes.jsp
Bags and Purses Collection:
http://hcms.firstoption.net/peach2cms/SiteResources/hcms_bags.jsp
Fans:
http://hcms.firstoption.net/peach2cms/SiteResources/hcms.jsp
MANCHESTER GALLERY OF COSTUME
UK
http://www.manchestergalleries.org/our-other-venues/platt-hall-gallery-of-costume/
The Gallery of Costume holds one of the largest collections of clothing and fashion accessories in Britain, containing over 20,000 items. The collection includes clothes worn by men, women and children from the 17th century to the present day. Many of the clothes represent high fashion of the day. Other, much rarer items, represent the dress of working people, such as the clogs and shawls of Lancashire weavers.
Online searchable collections database:
http://www.manchestergalleries.org/the-collections/about-the-online-collection/
http://www.manchestergalleries.org/the-collections/search-the-collection/
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
USA
Costume Institute:
The Costume Institute houses a collection of more than thirty thousand costumes and accessories spanning five continents and as many centuries.
See: http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/department.asp?dep=8
Antonio Ratti Textile Center:
Previously dispersed among the various curatorial departments according to the cultures that produced them, most of the Museum's textile holdings are now gathered in the Antonio Ratti Textile Center. The textile collection includes examples from all of the world's civilizations and from almost every period in history. Among the 35,000 pieces are archaeological fragments, tapestries, carpets, quilts, ecclesiastical vestments, silks, embroideries, laces, velvets, and more, dating from 3000 BC to the present.
See: http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/antonio_ratti_textile_center
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts:
The 50,000 objects in the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in the major Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century. The department's holdings cover the following areas: sculpture in many sizes and media, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, metalwork and jewelry, horological and mathematical instruments, and tapestries and textiles.
See: http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/introduction.asp?dep=12
Arms and Armor:
The collection of armor, edged weapons, and firearms in consists of approximately 15,000 objects that range in date from about 400 B.C. to the nineteenth century. Western Europe and Japan are the regions most strongly represented. The focus is on outstanding craftsmanship and decoration—that is, items often intended solely for display rather than for actual use, from minute ornamental sword fittings to full suits of armor.
See: http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/introduction.asp?dep=4
Online searchable collections database (all departments):
http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/collection_database/
MUSEUM AT THE FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
USA
http://www.fitnyc.edu/aspx/Content.aspx?menu=PresentGlobal:Museum:MuseumCollections
The permanent collection of the Museum at FIT currently includes more than 50,000 garments and accessories, dating from the eighteenth century to the present, with particular strength in modern and contemporary women’s fashion. The accessories collection consists of approximately 15,000 objects that date from the mid-17th century to the present day. Among the 15,000 accessories there are more than 4,000 pairs of shoes. There are also 30,000 textiles, dating from the fifth century to the present.
The MFIT Online Collection presents images and descriptions of 350 of the objects in the museum’s holdings of historic and contemporary fashion and textiles:
http://fashionmuseum.fitnyc.edu/code/eMuseum.asp?lang=EN
NATIONAL MUSEUMS SCOTLAND
UK
Collections include costume and textiles (from prehistory to the present day).
An online searchable database of collections including dress and textiles is available:
http://nms.scran.ac.uk/
ROYAL COLLECTION
UK
http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/
Shaped by the personal tastes of kings and queens over more than 500 years, the Royal Collection includes paintings, drawings and watercolours, furniture, ceramics, clocks, silver, sculpture, jewellery, books, manuscripts, prints and maps, arms and armour, fans, and textiles. It is on public display at the principal royal residences and is shown in a programme of special exhibitions and through loans to institutions around the world.
An online catalogue of selected objects from the collection is available, including textiles, fans, jewellery, furniture, books and bindings:
http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/eGallery/
STATE HERMITAGE MUSEUM
RUSSIA
http://www.hermitagemuseum.org
The Western European Applied Art collections include jewellery, furniture, and textiles. There is a small collection of Renaissance jewellery, and an extensive collection of 18th jewellery, from various Western European countries. The collection of Western European furniture consists of some 1,000 objects made in Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands and England, dating from the 15th to the 19th century. The Hermitage collection of some 5,000 textiles reflects the development of Western European weaving from the medieval period to the early 20th century. The earliest items are fragments of Italian and Spanish patterned silks and linens from Perugia dating from the 13th to 14th centuries. Remarkable 15th and 16th century ecclesiastical vestments from various Italian cities demonstrate the heights reached by silk weaving during the Renaissance. The collection of Western European Tapestries ranges in date from the 15th to the 19th century.
An online searchable collections database is available:
http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/fcgi-bin/db2www/browse.mac/category?selLang=English
STOKE ON TRENT MUSEUMS
UK
http://www.stokemuseums.org.uk/
Holdings include a regionally important collection of costume and textiles dating from the fifteenth century to the present day.
An online search facility of the collections including dress and textiles is available:
http://www.stokemuseums.org.uk/collections/browse_collections/dec_arts/costume
TEXTILES COLLECTION - UNIVERSITY FOR THE CREATIVE ARTS AT FARNHAM
UK
http://www.vads.ac.uk/collections/ST.html
The collection of world textiles at the University for the Creative Arts at Farnham has supported the practical study of woven and printed textiles for over forty years. The Textiles Collection aims to provide real examples that demonstrate the application of a broad range of textile techniques and processes - encouraging students to handle textiles, to respond to their qualities, and to question and analyse them as a primary source. The collection consists of over 3,000 artefacts ranging in date from Coptic textiles c. 800-1000 AD through to Scandinavian furnishing fabrics c.1950-1990. The collection can be searched and browsed via the Visual Arts Data Service (VADS) website.
VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM
UK
The Victoria and Albert Museum has collected dress since its earliest days. The collection covers fashionable dress from the 17th century to the present day, with the emphasis on progressive andinfluential designs from the major fashion centres of Europe. The V&A collections also include accessories such as jewellery, gloves and handbags.
The national collection of textiles covers a period of more than 2000 years. It has a broad geographic range with a particular emphasis on Europe. Most techniques are represented, including woven, printed and embroidered textiles, lace, tapestries and carpets. These are classified by technique, countries of origin and dates of production. Particularly rich areas of the collections are the early silks from the Near East, lace, European tapestries and English medieval church embroidery.
The V&A's Theatre Collections hold the UK's national collection of material relating to live performance in the UK since Shakespeare's day, covering drama, dance, musical theatre, circus, music hall, rock and pop, and other forms of live entertainment. Among the Theatre Collection’s holdings are over 3,500 stage costumes and accessories, ranging in date from the eighteenth century to the present day.
Fashion, Jewellery and Accessories:
http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/fashion/index.html
Textiles:
http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/textiles/index.html
Theatre & Performance:
http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/theatre_performance/
Online searchable collections database:
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/
A wide range of reading lists can be found on the website.
See: FURTHER RESOURCES: V&A READING LISTS
WHITWORTH ART GALLERY
UK
http://www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk/
The Whitworth's collection of historic and modern textiles is the largest and most comprehensive collection of flat textiles outside London. It comprises 15,000 to 20, 000 items ranging in date from the 3rd century AD to the present day.
Some textiles from the collection can be viewed online:
http://www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk/collection/textiles/
SECTION 2
Online databases and gateways which may assist the study of dress/textiles
AHRC CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF THE DOMESTIC INTERIOR
ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART
UK
A project funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council. The goal of the Centre is to develop new histories of the home, its contents and its representation. It pursues research into the changing appearance and layout of the rooms in a range of buildings, from tenements to palaces, the objects that furnished those rooms, the ways rooms and objects were depicted, the manner in which people used them, and how they thought about them. At the heart of the research undertaken by the Centre is a broad-ranging analytical survey of the ways in which Western interiors are represented. Part of this work involves the compilation of a database of visual and textual sources charting representations of the domestic interior in the West from 1400 to the present.
Online searchable database - The Domestic Interiors Database (DIDB):
http://csdi.rca.ac.uk/didb/
BRITISH HISTORY ONLINE
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/
British History Online is the digital library containing some of the core printed primary and secondary sources for the medieval and modern history of the British Isles. Created by the Institute of Historical Research and the History of Parliament Trust, it aims to support academic and personal users around the world in their learning, teaching and research.
COURT OF CHIVALRY 1634-1640
UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM
UK
http://www.court-of-chivalry.bham.ac.uk/
A project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council with the aim of researching and editing the records of the Court of Chivalry, 1634-1640. An online database makes available details of 738 cases, which cover a wide range of subjects relating to the social, political and cultural history of the period.
Online searchable database:
http://arts-itsee.bham.ac.uk/AnaServer?chivalry+0+start.anv
DELIBERATELY CONCEALED GARMENTS PROJECT
TEXTILE CONSERVATION CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON
UK
http://www.concealedgarments.org/
The Textile Conservation Centre (TCC), University of Southampton, is undertaking a project to locate, document, research and present instances of deliberately concealed garments in buildings.
Online database: http://search.concealedgarments.org/simpleSearch.jsp;jsessionid=k0at7rikbps0
DÉMODÉ: HISTORICAL COSTUME - PROJECTS AND RESOURCES
Author: K. Van Cleave
USA
http://www.demodecouture.com/index.html
The personal website of a period costume enthusiast. In addition to descriptions of the author’s costume reconstruction projects, the site includes a resource called 'Real Women's Clothing Directory' which contains links to photographs of dress in museums across the world, arranged chronologically.
Real Womens' Clothing Directory:
http://www.demodecouture.com/realvict/
EARLY MODERN RESOURCES
Author: S. Howard
UK
http://www.earlymodernweb.org.uk/
Dress and Fashions in Early Modern Europe section:
http://www.earlymodernweb.org.uk/emr/index.php/dress-and-fashion-in-early-modern-europe
The personal project of a historian based at Sheffield University. The site is conceived as a gateway for anyone interested in studying the Early Modern period, offering the widest possible range of (free-to-use) links arranged in a user-friendly manner. The site also includes original writing and some primary source materials. The section on ‘Dress and Fashions in Early Modern Europe’ is intended to draw together materials that provide insights into the social, political and cultural contexts and meanings of clothing rather than advice on how to make reproduction clothing.
FRAZZLED FRAU
Author: W. Buijs
http://frazzledfrau.glittersweet.com/
The personal project of a costume enthusiast. The website aims to document German female dress of the sixteenth century by providing links to images of paintings, arranged chronologically (1490-1600). There are also separate links for the works of Cranach, Holbein and Dürer.
GATHERING THE JEWELS – WEBSITE FOR WELSH HERITAGE AND CULTURE
UK
This website contains over 30,000 images of objects, books, letters, aerial photographs and other items from museums, archives and libraries throughout Wales. A searchable database is available and it is also possible to search resources by themes. Examples of themes relating to dress and textiles: the 'Domestic Sphere' section, which includes items related to dress, personal accessories and furniture; the 'Arts and Culture' section, which includes embroidery and tapestry under the 'Decorative Arts' heading.
KNITTING TOGETHER: THE HERITAGE OF THE EAST MIDLANDS KNITTING INDUSTRY
UK
http://www.knittingtogether.co.uk/
The aim of the website is to present the history of the knitting industry in the East Midlands since the 1500s, and to provide a preview of a virtual museum of knitting. The site traces the development of the industry, from the invention of the knitting frame by William Lee in 1589, through to the present day. Themes such as costume, technology, and companies can be explored. The virtual museum contains interactive exhibitions and images from various collections. The website as a whole is searchable by keyword, category, and document type. There is also an online catalogue of the virtual museum.
Search the site:
http://www.knittingtogether.co.uk/search.asp?cat=659
Online catalogue of virtual museum:
http://www.knittingtogether.co.uk/collectionsearch.asp?cat=672
LA COUTURIÈRE PARISIENNE
Author: A. Bender
GERMANY
The personal project of a costume enthusiast. It covers the period from the Middle Ages to the early twentieth century. The site includes articles, costume patterns, and a searchable database of over 4000 images of paintings and drawings showing costume. The site as a whole is searchable by keyword.
Search the whole site or the online database:
http://www.marquise.de/en/search.shtml
LEWIS WALPOLE LIBRARY
YALE UNIVERSITY
USA
http://www.library.yale.edu/walpole/
The Lewis Walpole Library is a research library for eighteenth-century studies and the prime source for the study of Horace Walpole and Strawberry Hill. Its collections include significant holdings of eighteenth-century British books, manuscripts, prints, drawings and paintings, as well as important examples of the decorative arts. Housed in an historic frame house in Farmington and given to Yale by Wilmarth Sheldon Lewis and Annie Burr Lewis, the Lewis Walpole Library is a department of Yale University Library, open to researchers by appointment.
The Lewis Walpole Library Digital Collection presents images from the Library's collections. The main focus of the Digital Collection is the Library's world-renowned collection of English caricatures and political satirical prints from the late-seventeenth to the mid-nineteenth century. Also included are prints, drawings, and watercolors related to Horace Walpole's collection and house at Strawberry Hill.
Online searchable digital collection:
http://www.library.yale.edu/walpole/html/research/digital_collection.htm
NATIONAL ARCHIVES
UK
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
The National Archives is the official archive of the UK Government. It helps government departments manage their information more effectively and promotes the re-use of public sector information. Holdings include 11 million records - from Domesday Book to the most recent government papers.
Suggested starting points:
Information for Academic Researchers:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/academic/
Research Guides:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/researchguidesindex.asp
Search the Archives:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/searchthearchives/
NORWICH TEXTILES PROJECT
UK
http://www.norwichtextiles.org.uk/
This website has been created as part of the Norwich Textiles project, a collaboration of Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service and Norwich School of Art and Design. The project examines the development of textiles in the city of Norwich from medieval times to the present day. The website provides a detailed history of textiles in Norwich, together with links to an extensive range of further resources relating to this subject.
RENAISSANCE: THE ELIZABETHAN WORLD
Author: M. Secara
USA
The personal website of a writer and historical re-enactor. The site is devoted to the study of life in Elizabethan England. It includes articles by the author and other contributors, annotated transcriptions from primary sources, and links to other relevant resources (including some relating to costume and textiles). A section on 'Elizabethan Sumptuary Statutes' provides an introduction to the subject of sumptuary regulation and several transcriptions from relevant statutes.
Elizabethan Sumptuary Statutes:
http://elizabethan.org/sumptuary/index.html
ROYAL ARMOURIES
UK & USA
http://www.royalarmouries.org/
The Royal Armouries collection consists of some 70,000 examples of arms, armour and artillery dating from antiquity to the present day. It includes royal armours of the Tudor and Stuart kings; arms and armour of the English Civil Wars, including the Armoury from Littlecote House; British and foreign military weapons from the Board of Ordnance and Ministry of Defence Pattern Room collections; hunting and sporting weapons, as well as an exceptional collection of oriental arms and armour. The Royal Armouries also has a significant collection of fine and decorative arts, and a special collection of material relating to the Tower of London, including antique prints and drawings, paintings, early photographs, stereoscopes and lantern slides, and rare books.
Britain’s oldest museum has grown from its origins as the main royal and national arsenal at the Tower of London into a family of museums located throughout the United Kingdom and in North America.
Online searchable database:
http://collections.royalarmouries.org/
SCOTTISH TEXTILE HERITAGE ONLINE
UK
http://scottishtextileheritage.org.uk/
This pilot project aims to provide a one-stop guide to Scottish textile collections. The website contains a searchable database of approximately 3000 descriptions of textile-related museum and archive collections and objects, together with a gallery of some 400 images. An online resources section contains essays on a wide range of textile-related subjects, and maps show the distribution of textile collections across Scotland.
Online searchable database:
http://scottishtextileheritage.org.uk/DServeA/index.asp
SPINNING THE WEB: THE STORY OF THE COTTON INDUSTRY
UK
http://www.spinningtheweb.org.uk/
Spinning the Web brings together for the first time a collection of some 20,000 items from the libraries, museums and archives of North West England which tell the story of the Lancashire Cotton Industry. The collection can be explored via the online database, or by selecting one of a number of research themes.
Online searchable database:
http://www.spinningtheweb.org.uk/advanced.php
TRADE CARD AND EPEHMERA COLLECTION
ROTHSCHILD COLLECTION, WADDESTON MANOR
UK
The Trade Card and Ephemera Collection includes many items relating to the clothing and textile trades in the Early Modern period.
An online searchable database of the Rothschild Trade Card and Ephemera Collection is available:
http://www.waddesdon.org.uk/plan_your_visit/trade_cards_copyright.html
TUDOR EFFIGIES
UK
http://www.tudoreffigies.co.uk/
A pilot project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The project aims to link the dead, their dress and their documents to create a visual research resource for 16th century costume. An online searchable database containing images is available, and can be searched by keyword, date, and gender.
Online searchable database:
http://www.tudoreffigies.co.uk/search/default.asp
TUDOR LINKS – MAPPING TUDOR ENGLAND ON THE WEB
Authors: names not given
The website is a personal project created by enthusiasts of Tudor history. It contains a very wide range of links relating to many aspects of Tudor England, including costume and textiles.
Costume and Textiles section:
http://www.tudorlinks.com/textiles.html
