UCO Fashion Museum Collection: Assessment and Preservation Training

FAIN: PG-251862-17

University of Central Oklahoma (Edmond, OK 73034-5209)
Mary Huffman (Project Director: April 2016 to June 2019)

A general preservation assessment, conservation assessment of selected items, and a preservation workshop related to the museum’s collection of 800 pieces of clothing and accessories from the 1890s through the 1970s.  They include designer items as well as fashions representing social, economic, and cultural changes during this period. Some items of note include costumes, uniforms, and formal dress worn by students at the university and a collection of flapper dresses and accessories.

The University of Central Oklahoma is requesting $6,000 for a general preservation assessment of the Fashion Museum Collection on campus, as well as for education and training of preservation techniques by a textile conservator. This collection is the only collection of designer clothing available in the state on a college campus available for research and study. It contains over 800 pieces of designer and/or representative clothing from the 1890s through the 1970s, and over 300 hats, 100 shoes, and miscellaneous accessories.  All items were collected by and/or donated by prominent women in Oklahoma. The textile conservator will be contracted to: 1) perform a collections survey, 2) develop detailed plans for improving storage, 3) assess the conservation treatment of selected items in the collection, 4) provide a one day workshop on preservation techniques, and 5) serve as a mentor for an advanced student or recent graduate from UCO's Museum Studies program on this project.