Description | The Textile Collection contains archives, textile objects and a library related to textiles and to the development of textile art. Collections include the archives of the Goldsmiths Textile course 1948-2009, 13,000 slides of the work of graduates, alumni and staff of the course, teaching notes of the founding team, Constance Howard MBE, Barbara Dawson and Christine Risley. The textile collection includes items from Constance Howard's personal collection of embroidery and costume; textile samples, a collection of techno-fabric samples from Nuno in Japan; over 3,000 textiles donated or commissioned for the Centre. Archives include the records of textile artists and groups influenced by the Goldsmiths Textiles course, including the '62 Group' and the 'Fibre Art Group', [1962-2000], both groups of professional textile artists formed to raise the profile of textile art. These archives include slides, photographs, newsletters, correspondence, accounts, reviews and committee minutes. There are over 5,000 books and pamphlets in the library which includes Constance Howard's book collection. |
AdminHistory | Constance Howard (1910-2000) joined the staff of Goldsmiths' College as a part-time tutor. She went on to found and become Head of the Department of Embroidery (later Textiles) in the College's School of Art, 1947-1975. She is seen widely as a leading pioneer in the making and teaching of embroidery as an art form. [The Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre was named after her and was established by her successor, Audrey Walker, in 1980]. In 1996 the Friends of the Study Collection group was formed to extend and enhance information about the resources. Pieces are purchased for and donated to the Collection on the understanding that they will be made available for hands on research and study. The Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre for Textiles was funded initially by an AHRC Resource Enhancement grant (2000-2003) then by Goldsmiths until 2009. The Centre regularly organised lectures and exhibitions, and a programme of digitisation of the many slides and textiles housed was begun to provide a 'virtual' resource. The AHRC funding also enabled the conversion of a purpose-built gallery for textile exhibitions with a dedicated study area. |