Digital Costumes

A database of the collection which includes both text and images has been under development since 2002, and was made available to the Vassar community in the fall of 2008. At the time of this exhibition, in 2010, we were in the process of developing this for the general public via the internet, which has since come to fruition. 

The VCCC was featured in a 2009 workshop at Vassar entitled “Digital Objects in the Classroom,” which allowed participants from across the country to examine best practice in the use of digital collections as a teaching resource in a variety of disciplines. The workshop gave us the opportunity to connect with other costume collections that provide digital access to their collections, including Drexel and Cornell, and we are in the early stages of a project that would unite many costume collection databases into one web resource for easy searching and comparison.

Researchers can use the database to focus their research, then access the physical objects once they have narrowed down their choices, resulting in less handling of the fragile objects. One use of the collection is to select objects as design inspiration for costumes in a period play. However, nothing can replace the hands-on experience of viewing a garment inside and out to see how it was constructed. Many construction techniques of the past seem illogical on first glance, but upon further examination make a great deal of sense.

Also visit us at:                 
    vcomeka.com/vccc
    pages.vassar.edu/vccc
    pages.vassar.edu/hcpw
    tryingonhistory.blogspot.com

or email us at costumeshop@vassar.edu