Historic Costume & Textiles Collection

Campus Fashion: 150 Years of College Style

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The Gallery is closed per state and university COVID 19 protocols, however you can view the exhibition online by visiting our Fashion2fiber website.

The Ohio State University began celebrating its 150th anniversary this academic year and we are doing our part with an exhibition that takes a look at what people were wearing on college campuses for the past 150 years. The exhibit features what people wore to class, what they wore in the dorms (today sometimes those garments are the same but that was not true in the past), what was worn to football games or other activities, and what clothing was worn for special occasions related to college life such as formals or joining honors societies, fraternities or sororities.

Maxine and Loyal Richard while students at Ohio State University in 1932. Looks like they are going to a football game!

Formal gown worn by Ruth Weinman Herndon when a Freshman at OSU in 1925

In addition, we are featuring some student projects from design, construction, pattern-making and tailoring classes from years past. Pictures from the OSU Archives photograph collection in the exhibition highlight student life over the decades. A particular interesting series highlights the evolution of classes in Nutrition and Fashion from the early days of the Department of Domestic Science, and School of Home Economics.

Spotlights about alumni who’ve worn clothing in the exhibition include Grace Heck Faust, who graduated OSU Law School in 1930 (one of two female law graduates) and was the first woman in Ohio to be elected as a prosecuting attorney.

Dr. Ruth E. Moore is another notable OSU alumna. She received all her degrees at Ohio State and was the first African American woman to earn a PhD in a natural Science. She taught at Howard University Medical College and also chaired the Department of Bacteriology from 1947-58.

 

Gallery location and hours can be found here

For the Birds

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1960s hat decorated with dyed pheasant feathers

1970s Givenchy evening ensemble with green and white ostrich feather sleeveless coat

The National Geographic Society has designated 2018 as “The Year of the Bird” in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Migratory Bird Treat Act, the most powerful and important bird-protection law ever passed. So, we too are celebrating with artifacts that depict birds and/or feathers in some form. Bird feathers have been used for decoration in many cultures in addition to western fashion, sometimes almost leading to extinction. While feathers decorating women’s hats were partially to blame in the late 19th century, unregulated sport and market hunting and “boys’ mischief” were bigger factors.

Detail of embroidery depicting a crane on a Japanese wedding kimono c. 1980

Depictions of birds such as the phoenix, crane, and peacock in East Asian textiles hold symbolic meanings. The Phoenix represents the Empress and cranes often appear on wedding kimono as a symbol of faithfulness and longevity. Use of peacock feathers are also considered taboo on the theatrical stage.

Visit the Thompson Library Special Collections Display Cases for additional artifacts celebrating The Bird!

“Sports & Fashion”

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Sport or Gym Costume c. 1890

“Sportswear” at the end of the nineteenth century was a term applied only to clothing designed for athletic purposes, the playing of sports popular at the time including tennis, golf, bicycling, bathing (what we now call swimming), ice-skating, yachting, and hunting.

Later, in the early twentieth century, it became associated with spectators at sports events and then expanded to include simple, tailored clothing which preserved the informal qualities of athletic attire.

Post WWII, sportswear became synonymous with casual wear worn at any time of the day, and is considered a uniquely American contribution to the fashion industry.

Young man’s bicycling costume c. 1900
The Ohio State University
Photos by Kevin Fitzsimons

This exhibition, primarily of clothing from the late 19th century through the 21st century, explores the intersection of sports and fashion and how each influenced the other over the past 150 years. Full skirted bathing costumes and gym suits of the late 19th century reflect the fashion of their time, but evolved into more streamlined functional forms as women became more active in the early 20th century and beyond. When evening gowns of the 1930s had low back necklines, swimsuits had to follow suit, or was it the other way around? Was it the low-back swimsuits that influenced the low-back evening dresses?

September 20, 2018 – April 26, 2019

See exhibit installation images

 

 

! Special Dior Event !

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Save the date!

April 21, 2018, renowned Dior expert, Florence Muller will share her experiences putting together the 70 year anniversary retrospective exhibition, Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams, which opened at the Decorative Arts Museum in Paris last year.

see invitation flyer

Ms Muller is a fashion historian and curator who has created over 100 exhibitions around the world, several of them with Dior as the subject matter. Recent fashion exhibitions include: Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style in 2017 at Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Richmond, and Shock Wave: Japanese Fashion designers 1980s-90s at the Denver Art Museum in 2016.

Since 2015, Ms Muller has been the Avenir Foundation Curator of Textile Art, Curator of Fashion at the Denver Art Museum. Before coming to the U.S. Ms Muller was Director and Curator of l’Union Française des Arts du Costume at the Musée des Arts de la Mode/UCAD, Paris. In Paris, she was also a professor in the Culture of Fashion program at the French Institute of Fashion. Between 2006 and 2015 she taught Luxury and Fashion theory at AMP, the Advanced Management Program in Fashion & Luxury, at the School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University in Beijing. In France and Europe, she consulted for numerous various luxury brands and haute couture houses. She has published more than 30 books on the history of fashion.

Where: Campbell Hall, 1787 Neil Avenue, Room 200

When: Saturday April 21, 2018 talk from 12-1pm followed by a small reception from 1-2pm in the Columbia Gas Student and Alumni Lounge (Room 281)

Parking available in the Neil Ave Garage behind Campbell Hall

Sponsored by the Friends of the Historic Costume & Textiles Collection

RSVP to historiccostume@osu.edu or 614-292-3090

Jane Austen Remembered

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Jane Austen Remembered at Thompson Library

First edition Austen novels from Rare Books and Manuscripts Library

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jane Austen’s novels enjoy a huge popularity in spite of the shortness of her career, which ended at the age of 42 on July 18, 1817.

In recognition of her work and popularity, three Austen-era dresses from the HCTC accompanied by three first edition Austen novels from the OSU Rare Books and Manuscripts Library are on exhibit through December 15, 2017 at the Thompson Library in a large display case adjacent to the gallery on the first floor. More about Austen is covered on our blog.

c. 1817 silk evening dress

1797-1810 silk stripe day dress

 

1800-1810 cotton apron-front dress

Note: the apron front dress will be moving to the Cartoon Couture exhibit at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum on November 2, but available for viewing there beginning November 4 through April 15, 2018.

Welcome

The Historic Costume & Textiles Collection is a scholarly and artistic resource of apparel and textile material culture. The 11,500+ holdings encompass a range of three dimensional objects such as textiles and articles of clothing and accessories for men, women, and children, including national dress costume, from the mid-18th century to contemporary 21st century designers.

Visitors

Visitors are welcome to tour exhibitions when they are on display in gallery spaces. Gallery hours and location can be found on the visit us page or you may contact us for upcoming information on exhibitions, programs, and events.

Research

The Collection is available to researchers by appointment only, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call or email to make arrangements.

Contact Us

The Historic Costume & Textiles Collection
175 Campbell Hall
1787 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210

Telephone: (614) 292-3090
Fax: (614) 688-8133
Email: strege.2@osu.edu