Background
This section represents only a small number of the costume and fashion books in the library. You can find books on costume and fashion (print and eBooks) in the below call number ranges with the browse tool (choose LC Call Number from the pulldown menu):
- GT 500 - GT 2346 – Fashion; social aspects of clothing
- PN 2067 - PN 2068 & PN 2085 - PN 2091 – Costumes for performance, stage design & lighting
- TT 490 - TT 820 – Dressmaking; tailoring; technical considerations, needlework
The Complete Costume History: from ancient times to the 19th century by Call Number: Oversize GT510 .R3313 2003
Clothing Through American HistoryCall Number: GT607 .S73 2011
The Costume Designer's HandbookCall Number: TT507 .I46 1992
Encyclopedia of World Dress and FashionCall Number: Reference GT507 .E54 2010
Speciality Books
This section represents only a small number of the specialty costume and fashion books in the library.
The Corset: A Cultural HistoryCall Number: GT2075 .S74 2004
Textiles: The Whole Story: Uses, Meanings, SignificanceCall Number: GT525 .G67 2014
Tim Gunn's Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your ClosetCall Number: TT507 .G863 2012
The Tudor Tailor: Reconstructing 16th Century DressCall Number: TT504.6.G7 M55 2006
Digging Deeper in the Library Catalog
Digging Deeeper in Databases
- ARTstor This link opens in a new windowDigital image library offering searchable collections of images and descriptive information including architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, and more, encompassing many time periods and world cultures.
Note: First time, off-campus users accessing via OpenAthens will be required to create a personal account - Berg Fashion Library This link opens in a new windowColor images, academic eBooks, museum directory, exhibition archive, reference works, and teaching resources relating to the world of dress and fashion.
- Illustrated London News Historical Archive, 1842-2003 This link opens in a new windowDigitized full run of the world's most iconic illustrated newspaper from 1842-2003.
- Grove Art Online This link opens in a new windowEncyclopedia covering art and artists worldwide in all fields of the visual arts.
Digging Deeper in Websites
- American Memory This link opens in a new windowOnline collection of written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music documenting the American experience.
- Cabinet Card GalleryVictorian cabinet card photographs.
- Elizabethan Costume PageExtensive page of patterns, styles, and details of Elizabethan costume.
- Global Performing Arts ConsortiumDigital images related to the performing arts from around the world. Search results are unpredictable. Take the Video Introduction to get started.
- MetPublicationsFive decades of publications by The Metropolitan Museum of Art on art history available as free downloads.
- Metropolitan Museum of Art – The Costume InstituteImages from the Met collections. Search by artist, maker, culture, object type, geographical location, and time period.
- Museum of the City of New YorkThousands of historical photographs from life in NYC, including theatres, theatrical productions, and ephemera.
- National Gallery LondonPaintings searchable by artist and century.
- National Portrait Gallery UKPortraits of famous British men and women.
- New York Public Library Digital Collections This link opens in a new windowDigitized items from the New York Public Library, this is a living database with new materials added every day, featuring prints, photographs, maps, manuscripts, streaming video, and more
- Ringling CollectionPhotographs of 19th Century actors and actresses.
- Victoria and Albert MuseumUse More Search Options to explore the V&A's vast collections, including costume, architecture, and decorative arts. Berg Fashion Library contains the V&A's clothing collection.
- Web Gallery of ArtContains art from a broad range of periods, including portraits and architecture.
Creative Research
Paintings, photographs, and advertisements are rich resources for costume design ideas. Keyword searching in the JMU Library Catalog will return a variety of resources. Browse the titles to determine relevance. Experiment with keywords such as:
Keyword = Japan pictorial works
Keyword = plantations pictorial works
Keyword = advertising history pictorial works
Keyword = 19th century pictorial works
