Max Meyer and A. Beller & Co.
Interpreting a Hidden History of NYC's Garment District
Introduction
Max Meyer and A. Beller & Co.: Interpreting a Hidden History of NYC's Garment District takes an in-depth look at the work of the fashion industry leader and one of FIT’s founders and its first president. Meyer (1876–1953) was a principal of Abraham Beller & Company, a New York City–based women’s cloak and suit manufacturer, in business from 1890 to 1931. Through licensing agreements with Paris couture houses, Beller & Co. recreated their designs for an American clientele. This exhibition showcases the close ties of the fashion industry to FIT through the lens of donations from various industry players who helped in great measure and over decades to build FIT's Gladys Marcus Library’s Special Collections and the FIT Archive.
Meyer generously donated the nearly 9,000 fashion sketches of the Beller company to the library in the 1950s. The illustrations are sublime watercolor and ink depictions of Paris couture created circa 1914–29 from many of the well-known fashion design houses such as Chanel, Poiret, Molyneux, Lanvin, Worth, Paquin, and many more.
The exhibition consists of more than 200 sketches, curated by Special Collections’ staff. Also on view are 14 historical/period garments from the School of Graduate Studies’ Fashion and Textile Studies garment study collection. These pieces, curated and conserved by graduate students under the supervision of Professor Denyse Montegut, are paired with Beller sketches that mirror the spirit of the garments’ styles and history.
Max Meyer (1876-1953)
Fashion Pioneer and Founding Father of FIT
During the first half of the 20th century, a symbiotic relationship existed between Parisian couture and American fashion. US-based ready-to-wear manufacturers looked to Paris to set the mode, which they subsequently mimicked, with riffs and revisions. Inversely, the American dollar was a critical source of income for Parisian haute couture. That wealthy American women formed a formidable segment of their clientele is widely documented. Lesser-known, however, is the important stream of income that came into the maisons de couture from licensing deals granting US department stores and manufacturers the rights to legitimately copy haute couture models.
The holdings of Special Collections are ripe with primary sources evidencing this decades-long exchange between the fashion industries of France and America. This display focuses on just one of the many collections held by FIT that explicitly document how Parisian designs found their way into the closets of upper and middle-class American women who may have never set foot on French soil.
As early as 1897, Max Meyer, a buyer for the American cloak and suit manufacturer A. Beller & Co., gained entrée (by way of an introduction by Lord & Taylor representatives in Paris) into the Callot Sœurs couture house for the purposes of officially licensing models to be copied by their ready-to-wear operations in the United States. Much later in writings about his life, Meyer states that he believed he was the first representative of American RTW manufacturers to be invited in to the hallowed halls of haute couture. He credited his success at breaking this industry barrier largely to the fact that he spoke fluent French, which seemed to ease the skepticism of his assigned vendeuse. As the collection documents, later many other couture houses welcomed Meyer through their doors, including Chanel just a few short years after the establishment of her brand.
Over the course of his 39 year career as a buyer and executive for A. Beller & Co., Meyer visited Paris 110 times licensing designs from top houses including Chanel, Lanvin, Cheruit, Jenny, Paquin, Premet, Callot Sœurs, Worth, Drecoll, Poiret, Patou and many others. Largely, the Beller garments were suits or outerwear, but occasionally dresses, which coordinated with an outerwear garment included in its collection.
The A. Beller & Co. adaptations of imported models as well as the company’s own original designs were of the highest quality and retailed at high-end department stores. The company’s product was considered the gold standard for American manufacturers, and as executives, Beller and Meyer were widely respected within the industry. Meyer, in particular, was heavily involved with various garment trade worker unions and an activist for worker’s rights and labor reform. Meyer retired from A. Beller & Co. in 1929 two years before the company would shutter its doors amid the Great Depression.
Meyer’s personal involvement with the fashion industries did not end upon his retirement. In 1939, he helped found the Central High School of the Needle Trades to prepare young minds and hands for careers in the fashion industry. The High School would house the classrooms and offices of the Fashion Institute of Technology from 1944-1959, making Meyer one of the founding fathers of our home institution, where he served as FIT’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Acting President at the time of his death in 1953.
Abraham Beller and Company fashion sketches, 1914-1929
Abraham Beller and Company (A. Beller & Co.) was founded in Lower Manhattan in 1890 by 27-year-old Abraham Beller, who had apprenticed as a tailor in his native Poland since the age of 13. Known for the high quality of their “better” suits and outerwear, within its first year of business, A. Beller & Co. creations were found amongst the offerings of top New York City department stores including Lord & Taylor and B. Altman. A family business from the start, Beller hired his wife’s 14-year-old younger brother, Max Meyer, to sweep the factory workrooms and run errands. Meyer’s role within the company quickly grew as he learned the business, and together Beller and Meyer would go on to operate one of the most respected American ready-to-wear companies operating in the early years of the 20th century.
The sketches seen here represent A. Beller & Co’s early foray into licensing Paris haute couture designs for adaptation for the American ready-to-wear market. As early as 1897, Meyer forged relationships with established couture houses such as Callot Sœurs, and later, Chanel, Lanvin, Poiret, Vionnet, and Worth among others. In exchange for a fee, the couture houses granted A. Beller & Co. their full blessing to copy or adapt their original designs.
As many of these sketches appear to have been issued from the same hand, it is clear that they did not originate from the couture houses themselves. Instead, A. Beller & Co. hired sketch artists to render the specific Paris creations which were to enter their inventory. The identity of the artists and the process by which the sketches were made remains a bit of a mystery, but it was likely a combination of in-person sketch sessions in Paris as well as croquis of the actual couture garments purchased by Beller, which were brought back to the U.S. to serve as the templates for reproductions and later sold to clients.
Working on both the wholesale and retail models, Beller beckoned private clients to visit their showrooms where, “we will show you our French models, our copies and our own models based on them.” In the 1890s, an A. Beller & Co. suit adapted from a French original would have retailed for approximately $700 today, whereas price points during the late 1920s reached upwards of $6,000. While still expensive, the sum paled in comparison to the price tag of a trip to Paris to be fitted for a couture wardrobe, making A. Beller & Co.’s exceptional quality and high-style a smart investment for its discerning American clientele.
The A. Beller & Co. fashion sketches manuscript collection are housed and made available through the Gladys Marcus Library's unit of Special Collections & College Archives. The collection numbers nearly 9000 sketches total and this exhibition offers viewers a glimpse of them via the more than 200 exhibited here.
The Importance of the Creative Industries to FIT
The creative industries have engaged with FIT in myriad ways from the college’s very founding. Whether through the rich array of internship and employment opportunities for students, the sponsorship of academic projects and competitions in conjunction with faculty, or the support of SPARC’s growth and operations, these industry entities have ensured the vibrant and continued growth of the college in strategic and reciprocally beneficial ways. One outstanding benefit is the development of SPARC as a central repository of rare and indeed unique materials that document the history and creative vision of these industries.
Beyond his leadership in establishing FIT and leading the way for fashion-related education and industry reform, Max Meyer, as a principal of A. Beller & Company, also understood the importance of the firm’s relation to the college’s development and success.
When A. Beller & Company shuttered in 1931, there remained historical records as evidence of the firm’s activities; included in Beller’s records were approximately 9,000 sketches of Paris couture creations, hundreds of which are on display in this exhibition. This donation of records is just one example of the unique and mission-critical relationship between the creative industries and FIT’s success.
Hundreds of other records collections have been donated to or otherwise acquired by the Gladys Marcus Library and over decades, almost since the college’s founding in 1944. Today, these records account for many of the nearly 500 discrete manuscript collections, which hold more than 500,000 works of art on paper, the Beller sketches among them.
The Gladys Marcus Library’s unit of Special Collections and the FIT Archive (SPARC) is the repository for these collections. SPARC is most fortunate to be the recipient of these unique materials and makes them available to researchers from all over the world, seven days a week. SPARC welcomes roughly 1,200 visitors a year and makes available to them nearly 3,600 linear feet of material for research purposes. SPARC also engages in exhibitions, such as this example, to reach the public at large. Please enjoy the program!
Daywear
Wedding Dress
Also referred to as a lingerie dress, this WWI-era dress was likely worn as either a late afternoon day dress or, based on the luxurious materials and off-white color, a wedding dress. The design is quintessential of this period in which the style and silhouette was mainly dictated by a wide-sashed waistline at the natural waist combined with looser flowing over-layers. Hemlines fell approximately to just above the ankle, getting slightly shorter as the second decade of the twentieth century approached.
Sketch and Garment Pairing: These sketches showcase styles from a similar time period to this circa 1915 day dress, displaying comparable silhouettes and lengths. The sketches show both an example of a similar dress and coats that may have been worn over this type of dress at the time.
Conservation Treatment: There were significant areas of loss, tearing, and brittleness to the shoulders and underarms, as well as the neckline. The skirt had substantial staining and there was evidence of bead loss. Although not a common practice, this silk dress was carefully wet cleaned to help brighten its appearance. Both shoulders were stabilized using beige silk crepeline and a combination of stitch and adhesive treatments. Other conservation treatments included repairing a split seam and reattaching snaps at the waist and shoulder closure.
Conservation treatment performed by Linsey Labson.
Car Coat
This is an example of the car or dust coat (also called a motoring duster) that became popular at the turn of the 20th century as women began to participate in automobile rides. It would have been worn while driving to protect the wearer’s clothing from the dust of the road. The mid-calf length of the coat corresponds most accurately to a period between 1918 – 1925 before skirt lengths began to rise to the knee.
Sketch and Garment Pairing: The sketches of these coats were chosen to pair with this garment due to their color and simplicity, highlighting the prevalence of practical brown coats during the mid-1920s. The sketch of the dress was selected to show the silhouette of the type of dress that may have been worn underneath this garment.
Conservation Treatment: The coat was vacuumed. Presence of starch precluded wet cleaning. Buttons were reinforced where thread was abraded.
Conservation treatment performed by Anya Andreeva.
Coat
This coat typifies 1920s outerwear styles through broad shoulders, highlighted with a large shawl collar, paired with a slim drop-waisted silhouette. To add interest and style to a simply-patterned design, contrast inset wool bands pair with two large carved buttons.
Sketch and Garment Pairing: These sketches echo similar design elements to those found in this garment. The brown color, wide collar, two-toned stripes, and off center button closure are all features from the coat that can be found in these early 1920s sketches.
Conservation Treatment: This coat was in stable condition and only required vacuuming in preparation for exhibition.
Conservation treatment performed by Michelle Porrazzo.
Coat with collar
Fur accents were incredibly fashionable during the 1920s and this long brown silk coat with rabbit fur lapels exemplifies the trend.
Sketch and Garment Pairing: The sketches paired with this garment show how fashionable it was to wear neutral colored coats with a fur collar or trim throughout the entirety of the 1920s.
Conservation Treatment: This coat was in stable condition and only required vacuuming in preparation for exhibition. A polarizing light microscope was used to identify the rabbit hair.
Conservation treatment performed by Bobbi Wall.
Day Dress
This long-sleeved silk crepe dress features the straight silhouette and dropped waist fashionable throughout the 1920s. The beaded trim around the neckline extends asymmetrically across the front of the dress, giving it the illusion of a wrapped front. This detail alludes to the style of traditional dress worn in many Asian countries, exemplifying the enthusiasm for “exotic” styles in Western fashion during the era.
Sketch and Garment Pairing: These sketches were chosen to pair with this day dress because they all display an asymmetrical, wrapped front style design similar to that of this garment.
Conservation Treatment: The silk crepe was distorted with some staining throughout, with loose and missing beads. There were severe tears and losses across both shoulders, distorting the silhouette of the shoulder line and the drape of the sleeve. These areas were repaired with silk georgette of similar weight to the dress fabric which was tinted to match and used to stabilize the underarm area and shoulders. The garment was humidified to diminish creasing.
Conservation treatment performed by Lauren Posada.
Day Dress
This blue silk taffeta afternoon dress is emblematic of the early 1920s. The shapelessness of the waist and shorter hemline echoes the popularity of sheath-like dresses of the time. Likely homemade, it is also a rare extant example of a garment made to fit a larger than average body of the time.
Sketch and Garment Pairing: These sketches were chosen to pair with this day dress due to their similarity in silhouette, simplicity, and length and to showcase the types of outer garments that could have been worn over this type of dress.
Conservation Treatment: Despite a significant loss of beads and heavy armpit stains, this dress was in good condition before treatment. The biggest challenge was the stabilization of the beaded collar, which had brittle threads barely holding the glass seed beads in place. All of the blue beads around the collar were restrung using a polyester thread, and many beads were couched in place to prevent further loss. A tear at the shoulder closure was stabilized using net, and snaps were reattached.
Conservation treatment performed by Linsey Labson.
Day Dress with matching sleeveless jacket
This dress exemplifies the style for higher hemlines which manifested in 1925. The sheer beige lace combined with a pink-orange slip embodies the 1920s vogue for combining colors and textures. While the dress is mostly constructed with simple seam-lines, the interplay between the textiles, colors, embellishments, and accessories illustrates pure 1920s fashion.
Sketch and Garment Pairing: These sketches share similarities in silhouette and length with this day dress. Though the sketches do not illustrate garments made of lace like this dress, they were chosen because they display a similar element of texture through the choice of material, pattern, and cut.
Conservation Treatment: The dress and jacket had breaks in the lace, concentrated at the shoulders from improper hanger storage, the decorative fabric flowers at the necklines were flattened and creased, and the silk slip was shattered. The breaks in the lace were repaired using silk thread and were carefully sewn together to mimic the original woven pattern of the lace. A new slip was drafted from the original and tea dyed to achieve the correct color. The fabric flowers decorating the necklines of both the dress and the jacket were revived using humidification and a heated spatula.
Conservation treatment performed by Michelle Porrazzo.
Eveningwear
Evening Coat
The 1920s witnessed a resurgence in exoticism and its application to fashion, as portrayed in this embroidered silk evening coat.
Sketch and Garment Pairing: These sketches were chosen to pair with this evening coat because they share an element of Eastern inspired embellishment, have contrasting sleeves and/or hem, and have similar side closures.
Conservation Treatment: The green silk was shattering throughout the trim on the decorative panels of the coat and the original lining was in poor condition. Infills of China silk in similar color and weight were used in areas of loss and couched down with conservation stitches then enclosed by a layer of net. The original lining was too weak to be conserved, so it was left in place and covered with a new lining to minimize further losses to the lining and at the same time maintain the aesthetic appearance of the garment. Further conservation work included closing splitting seams, sewing and attaching a new tie, and securing the button loop that was broken off at the bottom.
Conservation treatment performed by Anya Andreeva.
Evening Dress
This handmade dress, tubular in structure, embodies the straight silhouette so coveted in the early 1920s. The dress is constructed of a single length of 36-inch wide black silk satin, folded in half and wrapped around the body several times, terminating in a hanging sash on the proper left side. Metallic leather petals, rhinestones, and beads embellish the straps as well as forming a double bird motif at the proper right hip, drawing attention to the fashionably low waistline.
Sketch and Garment Pairing: These sketches were paired with this evening dress due to similarities in date, silhouette, and color palette. The outer garments displayed in these sketches could have been worn over this garment.
Conservation Treatment: The primary condition issue with this dress was loose and partially detached embellishments as well as red rot of some of the leather embellishments at the shoulders and hips. A mass of loose beading at the proper right hip was detangled and stitched to a new black net underlay which was, in turn, stitched to the black silk of the dress. Some of the decorative metallic leather petals at the hip and the shoulders were reattached with new stitching and, where the leather was experiencing red rot, it was treated with a leather consolidant to minimize further material loss.
Conservation treatment performed by Sara Ludueña.
Evening Dress
This embellished silk georgette two-tiered dress with its loose fit is an example of the straight silhouette and delicate fabrics adorned with beads, rhinestones, and sequins characteristic of the 1920s.
Sketch and Garment Pairing: These sketches were paired with this evening dress to showcase garments that may have been worn over this dress during the mid-1920s due to their color and length.
Conservation Treatment: The dress's shoulder straps had large horizontal tears that prohibited the dress from being hung, there were large tears in the bodice and skirt, and the beading along the bodice was becoming too heavy for the 100 year old delicate silk georgette ground fabric. The tears along the shoulders were closed and stabilized with a net underlay and laid and couched stitches. Two tears across the front of each tier of the skirt were repaired and stabilized with sheer silk crepeline underlay patches and laid and couched stitches. To distribute the weight and stabilize the heavily beaded bodice, a complete lining of silk crepeline was attached to the front and back.
Conservation treatment performed by Kristen Robinson.
Evening Dress
This mid-calf length evening dress showcases a semi-sheer silver and purple lozenge-shaped openwork novelty weave inspired by the trend of “exotic” fashion and displays art deco style geometric patterning. The characteristic 1920s straight silhouette and low waistline, emphasized by the downward pointing chevron, combined with the longer, more flowing skirt is very indicative of the later part of the decade as hemlines began to lengthen.
Sketch and Garment Pairing: These sketches were paired with this evening dress due to similarities in color and graphic triangular patterns.
Conservation Treatment: The dress displayed some fading, discoloration, and surface dirt throughout, as well as areas of breakage and loss of the openwork weave and previous repairs done in black thread, but was otherwise in fairly good condition. The dress was vacuumed using a low-suction HEPA -filtered vacuum and a soft brush was used to gently remove particles that could contribute to the deterioration of the silk over time. Blotting paper was used to dab the underarm area in order to reduce staining. An underlay of tinted gray nylon net was attached to the shoulders in order to stabilize the shoulder straps. Previous repairs in black thread were removed and replaced to match the silver/white color of the novelty weave. Areas of breakage where the top of the floating skirt panels meet were repaired as well. The slip was in very poor condition due to staining, discoloration from light exposure, brittleness, and haphazard previous repair attempts. It was concluded that the original slip could not be conserved for display, so a new slip was created using a comparable purple crepe de chine fabric and a line-for-line pattern.
Conservation treatment performed by Brigid Gerstenecker.
Evening Dress
The lightweight, sheer silk chiffon fabric, lace flutter sleeves, drop waist, and full skirt with handkerchief hem of this dress represent a shift away from the straight silhouette of the 1920s and toward the more romantic and flowy silhouette associated with the 1930s.
Sketch and Garment Pairing: The coats in these sketches share similar loose, fluttery hemlines to this evening dress. They also date from the late 1920s and could have been worn over a dress much like this one.
Conservation Treatment: The primary conservation issue with this dress was a torn seam at the upper edge of the proper left chiffon skirt panel, which was restitched. Several small holes at seams in the skirt and one at the back proper left shoulder were restitched. The stitching at the proper right side seam of the black lining was almost entirely missing and was replaced.
Conservation treatment performed by Sara Ludueña.
Evening Dress
This dress represents a transitional moment in fashion, as hemlines began to fall and the tubular silhouettes of the 1920s gave way to more body-skimming styles.
Sketch and Garment Pairing: These sketches were paired with this evening dress to show the prevalence of floral designs and flowing fabrics fashionable especially during the late 1920s.
Conservation Treatment: The dress displayed substantial soiling, previous failing conservation repairs, several tears throughout the delicate chiffon fabric, and only small areas of the original silk lining remained. The previous repairs were removed and the dress was wet cleaned. Because the lining was an integral part of the dress's aesthetic, a new fabric was custom dyed and a pattern was drafted to replace this inner layer, using a very similar dress from the same era as a pattern reference. The tears in the floral chiffon were stabilized with patches of silk organza and silk crepeline, coated with adhesives, and used for support.
Conservation treatment performed by Kirstin Purtich.
Evening Dress
This two-toned silk velvet evening dress with batwing sleeves, cowl neckline and attached belt, reflects the fashions of the 1930s. The streamlined geometric jeweled belt buckle and matching buttons at the neck evoke the art deco trend in evening wear.
Sketch and Garment Pairing: These sketches were chosen to pair with this evening dress due to the similarity of their loose, fluttering lower sleeves. Coats much like those illustrated could have been worn over this dress.
Conservation Treatment: The dress had several weak and unsightly previous repairs that had to be removed; a ten-inch rip at the center back that tore through the back neckline area; a shattered bodice lining; and multiple visible holes in the yellow velvet at the cowl neck and sleeves. The rip in the center back, as well as areas of the shattering bodice lining, were reinforced with a support material of brown silk crepeline coated with a conservation adhesive. The multiple holes in the yellow velvet in the cowl neck and sleeves were stitched in place with a velvet of a similar weight and color, which was toned through tea dying.
Conservation treatment performed by Bobbi Wall.
Conservation Overview
The objects in this exhibition belong to the Graduate Study Collection and were selected to coordinate with some of the sketches from the Beller archive. Each of the garments required some level of conservation treatment to be made ready for exhibition. These treatments were professionally done by the second-year conservation-emphasis students in the Fashion and Textile Studies program. Conservation work does not seek to take a garment in a current state of disrepair back to its original look – but attempts to slow down the deterioration while giving support and stability to weak or problematic areas. Below is a list of the most common types of treatments that are performed in conservation labs, and which were needed on most of the garments in this exhibition:
- Stitch Treatment (ie sewing)
- Adhesive Treatment
- Surface Cleaning (ie vacuuming)
- Wet Cleaning
- Humidification
- Partial Reproduction/Replication
- Conservation Dying
Supplemental Resources
Meyer's Legacy
Ruth Meyer. Max Meyer, 1876-1953 . Haskins Press, 1980.
An Archivist's Tale
Episode 121, Max Meyer: Recollections of a Foreign-Born Citizen (Lourdes Font)
Karen Jamison Trivette and guest host Alex Joseph interview fashion scholar Lourdes Font, professor of history of art at the Fashion Institute of Technology. They discuss the life and work of Max Meyer, a principal at Abraham Beller and Company, a New York City-based women's cloak and suit manufacturer, and examine how archival materials helped tell his story.
The FITting Room
Try on a piece of history!
The FITting Room is an Augmented Reality experience from the FIT Library allows you to try on accessories featured in original fashion sketches. Here is a sample of sketches from the Max Meyer/A. Beller collection to try on. Or you can check out these and more on the FITting Room platform.
Just click on an image below to launch the experience (requires a webcam or front-facing camera).
Drawing Upon Inequities
On November 19, 2020, SPARC hosted, "Drawing Upon Inequities," a panel discussion focusing on coping with and moving past the inequalities in the field of fashion illustration. Panelists included:
- Angelica Hicks
- Veronica Miller Jamison
- Jasjyot Singh Hans
- Jonquel Norwood
- Lamont ONeal
- Shireen Soliman
- Glenn Tunstull
Christianna Rice, FIT Graduate Student in Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice, moderated the night's spirited conversation.
We invite you to engage in the discussion here.
Garment Conservation with Anya Andreeva
Garment Conservation with FIT Fashion and Textile Studies Graduate Student Anya Andreeva, filmed with social distancing on November 6th, 2020 in SPARC. Anya conserved this 1920s coat as part of her conservation coursework and as work to be included in the exhibition, “Max Meyer and A. Beller & Co: Interpreting a Hidden History of NYC's Garment District,” organized by Associate Professor Karen Trivette, Head of the FIT Library's unit of Special Collections and College Archives. Anya discusses her garment, the conservation process, and her reflections on her efforts.
About
Fashion and Textile Studies
History, Theory, Museum Practice M.A. Program
Started in 1985, the Master of Arts program in Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice represents a comprehensive approach to the study of fashion and textile history, conservation, collections management, exhibition planning, and storage and display of costume and textiles. The program combines hands-on experience in the proper handling and treatment of textile-based objects with extensive historical research. Graduates are ready and able to contribute to the field of fashion and textile history.
Core courses in the history of fashion, textiles, theory, and world dress provide students with a foundation of knowledge to build upon for the rest of their academic careers. Throughout their time in the program, students perform graduate-level research and present their findings in professional settings such as a public symposium and programs supporting the annual Fashion and Textile Studies exhibition. Students also participate in courses that emphasize the practical application of object analysis and interpretation, fiber and weave identification, creation of storage solutions, conservation of textiles and garments, mount making, and mannequin dressing. These courses culminate in the development, design, and installation of the Fashion and Textile Studies exhibition, curated by the students at the Museum at FIT.
The skills obtained in this program prepare graduates to enter the workforce as fashion and textile historians, museum curators, costume and textile conservators, collection managers, educators, archivists, film and theatre costume consultants, and vintage clothing and textile dealers.
For this exhibition, a number of students from this program participated as curatorial assistants and as conservators for the garments on display.
The Graduate Study Collection
The Graduate Study Collection of the Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice Master of Arts program is a collection of several thousand garments and flat textiles utilized by the graduate students to enhance hands-on learning. Comprised of garments that range from the early-nineteenth to the late-twentieth century, the study collection also includes ethnographic dress and textiles as well as flat textiles fragments ranging from the Coptic period to twentieth-century screen-printed textiles.
The majority of the collection originated from objects deaccessioned from museums which were then donated to the program. Many of these objects were removed from museum archives due to poor condition, making them ideal candidates for study and conservation practice. The objects on display in this exhibition came from this collection and were researched and conserved by the graduate students.
The Gladys Marcus Library unit of Special Collections and the FIT Archive
A Brief History
The unit of Special Collections and the FIT Archive (SPARC) operates within the Gladys Marcus Library at FIT, one of sixty-four (64) institutions of the State University of New York system. The collections existed and were built upon continuously as an informal unit of activity well before the unit as it operates today formally existed.
For the most part of its history, the SPARC operation was a part of the larger Reference and Instructional Services unit. The first Register of Visitors demonstrates that the first monitored use of material was recorded in 1981. Leadership over the collection has varied over the years. Prof. Janette Rozene pioneered the effort to bring both physical and intellectual control over the holdings as its Cataloger (1981-1987). Prof. Judith Wood must be credited with the early building of the collection both in terms of quantity and quality. Prof. Marjorie Miller served as a de facto manager of the collection. Until her retirement in 1995 when Prof. Joshua Waller assumed the management role; he retired in 2007. Prof. NJ Bradeen, former Library Director (2002-2019) first instituted the unit as a discrete, formal operation within the Library, established the role of Head of the unit, and hired Prof. Karen J. Trivette as its first incumbent in the fall of 2008.
Today, Trivette still leads the unit under the supervision of Prof. Greta Earnest, Library Director.
It is estimated that the unit holds more than 500,000 works of original art on paper; most of these contain fashion-, costume-, and textile-oriented subject content. They are distributed among nearly 500 discrete manuscript collections entrusted to the unit’s care. SPARC also holds nearly 4000 rare book titles, 700 rare periodicals titles, and circa 200 linear feet Archives series titles. Much of the material has come, and continues to come, from donors to whom we are most grateful. All of the material is held within the Gladys Marcus Library, which is housed in the Shirley Goodman Resource Center, in an approximately 6100 square foot footprint of space.
SPARC’s mission is to foster original research across and beyond the FIT community. To fulfill this mission, it acquires, preserves, and provides universal access to primary research materials -- in their original formats and across many languages and geographical spectra -- and to College records permanently scheduled for retention or deemed to have enduring, historical value created or received in the course of College business. Unit formats include physical, digital, and 3-dimensional examples. All acquisitions support one or more curricula offered at FIT; our user community is as diverse as the content on our shelves and all are welcome.
The department exists and fulfills its mission for those who need to consult the material. By far, the largest audience to use the collection is the faction of FIT Graduate Students from the Master of Arts program in Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice. Another strong segment of researchers comes from the curatorial departments of the Museum at FIT; its personnel use the material both for research and for inclusion as contextual exhibits with garments on display in Museum galleries. FIT faculty, national and international scholars, fashion designers, and costume designers for both stage and screen all avail themselves of the material frequently to satisfy ongoing informational and inspirational needs.
Credits
Gladys Marcus Library, Special Collections & FIT Archive
- Associate Professor Karen Trivette, Head, Special Collections & College Archives — Digital Exhibition Curator
- April Calahan, Curator of Manuscript Collections
- Emily Arbuckle, Curator of Rare Books & Periodicals
- Samantha Levin, Curator of Digital & Audio/Visual Assets
- James Ferguson, Cataloging Archivist
- Danielle Paterson, Contract Archives Assistant
Gladys Marcus Library, Acquisitions & Metadata Services
- Assistant Professor Joseph Anderson, Digital Initiatives Librarian — Digital Exhibition Designer
School of Graduate Studies, Fashion & Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice
- Professor Denyse Montegut
- Professor, Chair, Lourdes Font
- Anya Andreeva, Graduate Student
- Brigid Gerstenecker, Graduate Student
- Molly Hartvigsen, Graduate Student
- Brynnea Irvine, Graduate Student
- Linsey Labson, Graduate Student
- Sara Ludueña, Graduate Student
- Michelle Porrazzo, Graduate Student
- Kirstin Purtich, Graduate Student
- Christianna Rice, Graduate Student
- Kristen Robinson, Graduate Student
- Roberta (Bobbi) Wall, Graduate Student
School of Art & Design, Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design
- Associate Professor Anne Kong
- Vive Buschman-Perkins, Alumna, 2020
Art & Design Gallery, Pomerantz Center
- Austin Thomas, Exhibitions Manager
- Lobsang Tsewang, Technologist