Textiles And Dress For Display And Show, Workshop Chord, University Of Wolverhampton, 11 June 2020.
Workshop and Call for Papers
Public Textiles and Dress in Museums and Historic Houses:
Textiles and Dress for Display and Show
Thursday 11 June 2020
https://retailhistory.wordpress.com/2020/01/07/public/
Building on last year’s workshop on Private Textiles and Dress, we invite submissions for a workshop that explores historic textiles and dress held in museums, historic houses, archives and other collections, which were and / or are intended to be displayed, seen or worn in public. We also welcome submissions that focus on ‘private’ items that have become ‘public’.
Papers focusing on any historical period or geographical area are welcome. We define ‘public’ broadly, and also welcome papers that challenge a simple distinction between public and private, including domestic items or collections intended for public view, or ‘private’ items that might also have a political meaning. Both textiles and clothing are of interest, as are all aspects of their acquisition, care, display, interpretation or conservation.
Museum professionals, conservators, archivists, students, academic scholars or anybody with an interest in the topic are warmly invited to submit a proposal. We welcome both experienced and new speakers, including speakers without an institutional affiliation.
Individual papers are usually 20 minutes in length, followed by 10 minutes for questions and discussion. We also welcome shorter, 10 minute ‘work in progress’ or ‘collection spotlight’ (which aims to draw attention more briefly than in a full paper to a particular item or collection) presentations, also followed by 10 minutes for questions and discussion.
Court dress, c. 1750, British, Purchase, Irene Lewisohn Bequest, 1965. Courtesy of https://www.metmuseum.org
Some of the themes that are of interest include (but are not limited to):
Flags and banners
Dress for show: party clothes
Textiles in public buildings
Collecting, conserving and displaying public textiles and dress
Textiles for display: artworks, samplers, tapestries
Outerwear, protective clothing, coveralls
Displaying private clothes and / or textile items
Displays: photographs, fashion shoots, shop displays
Uniforms, insignia and symbols
Office wear, sports wear, dance wear
Theatrical costumes and disguises
Small bursaries will be available for speakers to subsidise the cost of travel (within the UK) and the workshop fee (please contact the workshop organiser for further information).
Military uniform, early 19th century, Italian, Rogers Fund, 1926. Courtesy of https://www.metmuseum.org
To submit a proposal, please send title and abstract of c.300 to 400 words, specifying whether you are proposing a 10 or a 20 minute presentation to Laura Ugolini, at l.ugolini@wlv.ac.uk by 20 March 2020.
If you are unsure whether to submit a proposal or would like to discuss your ideas before submission, you are encouraged to e-mail Laura Ugolini at l.ugolini@wlv.ac.uk
The workshop will be held at Wolverhampton University City Campus, a short walk from Wolverhampton’s bus and train stations. Maps and directions are available HERE
For further information, please e-mail Laura Ugolini at: l.ugolini@wlv.ac.uk