One of our most extensive image collections is in the stacks! Books and periodicals often feature high quality images, and can offer multiple, different views of objects installed on mannequins or on display.
Checking image captions for the source of an object is also a great way to learn about different clothing and textile collections, including private ones and galleries that might not be as well documented or easy to find online. Clothing and textile books that offer a general overview of a topic, culture, or era often include lists of relevant collections as well.
See the Databases and Websites page of this guide as well as the Periodicals in Print and Online page for more image searching options.
There are a number of databases, websites, and books that can help you locate clothing and textile collections around the world. In addition to the resources listed below, see the Databases and Websites page of this guide, as many of the databases in the "Getting Started' section also include annotated lists of museums, collections, and exhibitions.
Clothing and Textile Collections in the United StatesSee also the Textile Collections of the World series, which, though from the 1970s, still provides useful summaries of textile collections in the US, UK, Ireland, and France.
This list highlights mainly clothing and textile collections that are located in the US, and only those with online databases or image collections have been included. This leaves out a large number of collections, from small historical societies to private collections to major museums, that have little to no documentation or images of their objects online. This is why searching for images in books and articles is so important, as is visiting these institutions in person, if you are able.
The anthropology collections of the American Museum of Natural History can also be navigated through their Exhibition History page or their Collections Highlights page.
See also the digital collections from the Irene Lewisohn Costume Institute Library.