View all images from the Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles: Materials Collection
History and Context
In March 2003 the Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles opened for the first time to the public. The Centre was awarded a Resource Enhancement grant from the then Arts and Humanities Research Board 2002-2005 (renamed AHRC on April 1st 2005) and is supported by Goldsmiths College, University of London. It has attracted widespread interest from a range of artists, designers, researchers, Friends and museum curators.
The collection was originally established in the 1980's by Audrey Walker and was named in honour of Constance Howard, former Head of Textiles at Goldsmiths College. Rich, eclectic and idiosyncratic the collection contains over 4,000 pieces of textile, some very special commissioned teaching samples, Japanese techno-fabrics, and tiny fragments of lace and embroidery. There are thousands of slides documenting the pioneering history of textiles at Goldsmiths College from the late 1940's to the present day.
The Centre is dedicated to the research and study of textiles within a broader context of visual and material culture. The value of textiles as a primary source of cultural knowledge and experience is increasingly being recognised. Textiles are part of our everyday life and embody a complex set of histories, inviting a range of speculations about their wider cultural meaning and social interpretation. The Centre provides a distinctive resource for multi-faceted research and from many different perspectives. Goldsmiths students, academic staff, researchers, Friends and members of the public can use the Centre for the purposes of their own research needs.
The first records from the Centre are now available in two taster collections, the Material Collection and the Slide Collection.
The Material Collection
The material collection is centred around Constance Howard's personal and prized textiles which she donated to the Centre in 2000. Her invaluable teaching notes and many experimental samples created by her students at Goldsmiths from the late 1940's to her retirement in 1975 are included. Elements within the donation represent a landmark in the history of British twentieth century textile art. It tells a unique and distinctive story of creative risk and innovation.
The collection continues to grow. Since 2002 there have been substantial donations from Sheila Fraser (2000), Francesca Palmer (2002) and Christine Risley (2003), all of whom contribute to the unique story contained within the Centre. Contemporary alumni, Alicia Felderbaum (1996), Saturo Aoyama (1998), Michiko Ishikawa (1997) and F.Marquespenteado (2002) have left new gems. Their work reflects a fresh and culturally diverse contemporary art textile in both material and digital form. This enhances the legacy and continues the Goldsmiths story into the 21st century.
The 62 Group and Fibre Art group have housed their archives in the Centre. Diana Keay's project 'Gathering' Decoration and Construction of European Folk Costume in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Greece, was researched during her Churchill Travelling Fellowship (1984) and is now housed alongside the Centre's East European artefacts and books.
This project used the Getty thesauri as controlled vocabularies. For other search terms please see the lists of in-house terminology created by the Constance Howard Research and Resource Centre in Textiles at the bottom of this page.
The Slide Collection
The unique slide collection comprises several thousand slides of work from textile students who studied at Goldsmiths. The slides date from the late 1940's to the present. Many graduates are internationally recognised alumni. Added to this distinctive archive but not yet available online are slides from many textile teachers and artists reflecting not only their own work but their range of research interests.
Copyright and Permitted Uses
Slide Archive - Rights
All images held within this database are copyright of Goldsmiths College University of London. Copyright in the original art work belongs to the artist. Every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders to gain permission for use of the images of work held within the Centre. We would be grateful for any information concerning copyright and we will withdraw the images immediately on copyright holder's request, if appropriate. Please direct any enquiries to: connitex@gold.ac.uk.
Material Archive - Rights
The images and metadata presented in the Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles are copyright of Goldsmiths College, University of London, Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles. They may be used for private research and study purposes only. They must not be copied or amended in any way without first gaining the permission of the copyright holder. Enquires regarding reproduction should be sent to the address below.
More records are constantly being added to the Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles collection database. We make every effort to ensure that these records are accurate, and we apologise for any errors which may have unwittingly occurred. The Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles would be pleased to receive any information or suggestions which would enhance these records. Please email connitex@gold.ac.uk with any comments or queries.
| Address: | Julie Graves Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles Visual Arts Department Goldsmiths College, University of London New Cross London SE14 6NW |
| Tel: | +44 (0) 207 717 2210 |
| Fax: | +44 (0) 208 919 7673 |
| Email: | connitex@gold.ac.uk |
| URL | http://www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/constance-howard/ |
Image credits
- A pair of fine machine-knitted silk and cotton stockings, USA, 1920s and early 1930s. © Goldsmiths College, University of London. Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles.
- Detail of embroidery on boy's ceremonial jacket, Pakistan, mid to late twentieth century. © Goldsmiths College, University of London. Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles.
- Yolande Beriot, BA Textiles Graduated 1989 © Goldsmiths College, University of London. Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles.
- Clare Wright, BA Textiles Graduated 1997 © Goldsmiths College, University of London. Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles.
Constance Howard Resource and Research Centre in Textiles: In-house Terminology
Materials
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Historical Terminology
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Identification Terminology
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Technique
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