Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1980 - 22

University
and College
Historic Costume
Collections:

An Untapped Source

by Frances J. Duffield

For costume designers in university and college theatre departments looking for fresh ideas, new sources of inspiration,
and a different perspective for theatrical period productions
there may be another professional group eager to share its
expertise with you. In many educational institutions across the
United States and Canada there are colleges, schools or departments of Home Economics, and within them are Clothing
and Textile units that have personnel with just those skills that
may be of help. A Home Economics curriculum is suggested
because this is the most likely place to look for garment design and historic costume and textile courses, outside of your
own area. Historic costume and textiles collections have generally resulted as an outgrowth of classes taught in those
areas. Do not overlook the possibilities of using their facilities,
the knowledge of their faculty, and the energies of their students.
The National Endowment for the Humanities sponsored a
survey in 1977 in which information was solicited from 141
universities and colleges with departments of Home Economics as to their holdings in historic costume and textile collections and the presentations of courses in these areas. These
schools included private, city and community colleges as well
as land-grant schools and other state colleges and universities. Reponses from 111 schools were received and analyzed.
History of costume was taught in eighty-nine schools; in nine
percent of these schools courses were taught in both theatre
and clothing departments. In two schools, history of costume
was taught exclusively in the Theatre Department.
As a result of this survey a bibliography, Resources in the
Frances J. Duffield is an assistant professor in the School of Home
Economics of Auburn University.
20

Theatre Design & Technology

Form of Collections of Historic Costumes, Accessories, Textiles and Slides Located in Universities and Colleges was published by me in 1979. (This publication is still available from
the author for the cost of mailing, 75¢.) The bibliography was
the result of a current articulated need of teachers in the fields
of historic costume, historic textiles, and the psychological,
sociological, cultural and economic aspects of clothing. The
publication identifies universities and colleges where historic
collections are housed and the name of the persons, as of
July 1979, to contact for assistance. The items in these collections are not generally of top museum quality, but are used
as resources and inspiration for classes such as flat pattern
design and draping and, of course, for extant examples of historic costumes worn in the periods of the mid- to late-nineteenth century and the twentieth century.
The publication of the survey was the result of one phase of
the grant, the other being a handbook, New Perspectives on
the History of Western Dress. The latter publication is accompanied by a set of 155 slides which have now been distributed
to designated repository schools. Access to these documents
may be obtained by contacting the Clothing and Textiles Department at a land-grant university.
Cooperation between theatre and clothing and textiles departments can prove to be mutually beneficial. A number of
avenues exist for this cooperation. Many home economics
schools, for example, are seeking internship experiences for
their undergraduate students out in the "real world." At Auburn University, students who major in the options of Clothing
and Textiles or Fashion Merchandising are often hired as costume assistants at the theatre through the work study program
of the university. Internships, however, may also be with nonacademic theatre groups.
In an attempt to create additional opportunities after graduation for Apparel Design majors at Colorado State University,
a core of theatre courses was selected. In return, the Clothing
and Textiles Department was able to provide theatre students
with courses in flat pattern design, draping, and historic costume.
Graduate students from both the theatre and clothing and
textiles areas cross over through their thesis and dissertation
research and through graduate assistantships. The bibliography cited previously contains titles of theses and dissertations
that have been completed within the last ten years in clothing
and textile areas. Some examples of research apropos the
theatre are:

Junelea Carr, "An Historic Account of American Women's
Undergarments from 1609 Through 1930," Oklahoma
State University.
Carol Ann Mead Cartmell, "Influences of Motion Pictures on
Fashion: 1930-1947," Colorado State University, 1973.
Elaine Lumbra, "Everyday Women's Dress Worn in the U.S.
During the Period 1870-1900," Indiana University, 1966.
Barbara Trout, "Shakespearean Theatre Apparel," Colorado State University, 1978.
Linda Welters, "Medieval Costume for the Theatre," Colorado State University, 1973.
E. A. White, "Silhouette Characteristic of Women's Day
Dresses in the U. S. from 1900-1920," University of
Iowa, 1970.
Clothing and Textile departments within schools or colleges
of Home Economics across the United States and Canada
may be able to open new doors to theatrical costume designers in two ways. First, the Historic Costume collections with
their extant items may be used for study and inspiration. Secondly, faculty members and undergraduate and graduate students can become hidden treasures of assistance. These elements, plus the theatrical costume designers' willingness to
ask for assistance, seem to suggest that a mutually advantageous relationship can be established.o
USITI/Winter, 1980

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