20th century Indian choli (woman’s top)

Mission

The COB Historic and Cultural Textile and Apparel Collection is a scholarly resource dedicated to
the preservation, documentation, and interpretation of apparel and textile material culture. The
Collection provides creative education and inspiration for students, researchers, and the general
public. The COB Collection contributes to the outreach missions of the COB Design Programs by
providing opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to learn about, analyze, and
interpret the historic and cultural context of textiles and apparel.

 

Dress from Historic and Cultural Textile and Apparel Collection

Overview

The COB Historic and Cultural Textile and Apparel Collection is housed in
Milam Hall in the College of Business at OSU. The Collection started when
professors began bringing in artifacts of their own to use in class
instruction and display. Their contributions, along with those of collectors,
created the foundation for the Collection in the early 1930s. However, it
really began to take shape as a formal Collection in the late 1940s when
students and scholars took notice of its value and put their efforts into
cataloging and preservation.
A strong focus of the Collection is design elements and textural fabric
varieties. The Collection consists of Euro-American and non-Western
apparel and textiles. The Collection textiles include fabric samples,
tapestry fragments, and accessories from many cultures. The Euro-
American clothing Collection begins at the start of the 19th century and
continues to the late 20th century. Additionally, there are some artifacts
from the 15th, 17th, and 18th century, and some pre-Columbian pieces.

 

Support

As a non-profit entity, we totally rely on the generosity of our donors for daily
operations, exhibitions, and acquisitions. Your contribution, in any amount, will provide
meaningful support to our mission and ensure the vital care and preservation of the
Collection. If you share an interest in the enrichment and study of textiles and apparel
material culture please give today. Click on the brochure link below for more information.

 

Visit

For more information on how you can utilize this amazing
resource, please contact Jennifer Mower.

 

Pre-Columbian

Online

HCTAC Blog

The collection is available on Oregon Digital

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