Historic Costume & Textile Museum
316/318 Gifford Building
502 West Lake Street
Mission
The mission of the Historic Costume and Textiles Collection reflects the greater mission of the College of Applied Human Sciences and Colorado State University. The Collection is open to those who strive for excellence in instruction, scholarship, and service in fields of learning which address human development, education, technology, and the social and health related needs of society. As a teaching and research facility the Collection offers faculty, students, and visitors from outside the university, the opportunity to explore the aesthetic, social, cultural, and physical significance of textiles and dress in their historical settings. As a museum, it is our function to collect, document, preserve, and exhibit these artifacts. Of particular importance are the artifacts that identify the development and settlement of Colorado in all its ethnic diversity and uniqueness.
The Collection enables scholars to conduct research related to topics of special interest such as textile conservation, history of black in apparel, Victorian crazy quilts, and territorial men's funerary dress in the mid 19th century. Results of these studies are disseminated through journal articles, workshops, and advanced seminars. The availability of the Collection for study and use is central to the scholarship mission of the University.
Instructors from various disciplines use and display artifacts from the Collection to enrich the instructional experiences of students. Unlike most traditional museums students have the special opportunity to examine artifacts under controlled conditions that preserve the integrity of the items. Faculty and students may assist with exhibits, lectures, and workshops that provide additional teaching and learning opportunities. The Historic Costume and Textiles Collection contributes to the service mission of the University by providing traveling trunk shows, public gallery exhibitions, talks, and workshops. Staff consultations, public lecture programs, symposia, workshops, and access to the Collection further the community outreach. The Friends of the Gustafson Gallery, an active community group, assist in many of the outreach programs and fund raising projects.
Types of Artifacts
The Department of Design & Merchandising maintains and cares for the Historic Collection. The Collection comprises over 12,000 catalogued artifacts-including 19th and 20th century garments and accessories, flat textiles, and non-Western dress-and is currently valued at over $2.3 million. Among the special holdings is a significant lace collection appraised at over $141,000. This gift was presented to the University by a New York resident and long-time docent at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in recognition of our teaching mission. Other special holdings include a gift from designer Calvin Klein. The Historic Collection was identified as one of 21 institutions internationally to receive archival gifts from Calvin Klein. Of these institutions only two are universities; the others are such notable museums as the Kyoto Museum in Japan, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Los Angeles County Museum. Unique collections consist of gifts from designers Mr. Blackwell, which include his master patterns and scrapbooks that document his career, and Arnold Scaasi. Recognition of the quality of the Collection is reflected in a recent invitation to contribute to the 2003 Historic Fashions calendar published by Q Graphics of Arlington, Virginia and Texas Tech University Press. Of the twelve participants, four are university museums; the remaining eight are public museums and private collections.
Visiting the Collection
Historic Musuem is open by appointment only. Please contact the Curator Linda Carlson.
Special Collections