Workshop and CFP:Public Textiles and Dress in Museums and Historic Houses: Textiles and Dress for Display and Show

Thursday 11 June 2020

University of Wolverhampton, UK

https://retailhistory.wordpress.com/2020/01/07/public/

Building on last year’s workshop on Private Textiles and Dress, CHORD invite submissions to 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. They also welcome submissions that focus on ‘private’ items that have become ‘public’.

Papers focusing on any historical period or geographical area are welcome. They 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. They 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.

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).

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.

The call for papers can be found here: https://retailhistory.wordpress.com/2020/01/07/public/

News about CHORD events, as well as blogs based on past conference papers, can be found here:
http://retailhistory.wordpress.com/about/

For any further information, please e-mail Laura Ugolini at: l.ugolini@wlv.ac.uk