Costume Database Collection

In the late 1970s, Harold Tedford acquired a collection of dresses from the nineteenth century for the theatre. Over the years, the collection has grown, mostly with donations. In the summer of 2010, Mary Wayne-Thomas and Caroline Dignes (class of 2010), began the process of organizing and cataloging the collection. In 2010, Mary continued organizing, repacking and adding new garments to the catalog. The long-term goal was to make this collection accessible to a large audience since Mary was the only person who knew what we had and where. While these garments are not for stage use, they are an important source for research and teaching.

This past summer, with the help of Sadie MacDonald, a URECA grant recipient, employee of the costume shop and studio art major, the garments were given individual numbers and rephotographed. Mary spent the fall semester creating on online database of the collection with the assistance of Kyle Denlinger, Digital Pedagogy & Open Education Librarian.

You can access the database HERE.