Cataloging and Archiving CWU Theatre Department's Collection of Historic Clothing

The CWU theatre department maintains a collection of 400-500 antique clothing items that have been set aside from our overall working collection due to their historical significance or lack of strength for use in production. While these garments may have a less obvious purpose than our stage worthy collection, they do serve as an incredible working resource in overall historical style trends and historical garment construction. Unfortunately, due to the constant growth of this collection, storage space and archival resources have become scarce. This has prevented the proper storage and archival of these garments, causing them to be stored in ways that are detrimental to their existence. I decided I wanted to preserve this collection and increase its accessibility so that it continues to serve as a resource for future fashion historians to come. For my senior research course last quarter, I began by researching methods and products of clothing archival and determining the best way to archive this collection. I then sorted through and roughly photographed and then cataloged the first portion of garments into a rudimentary online database. Separately, I continued documenting the remaining garments and completing my database for my UNIV 400 course with intentions of fully completing my process early this quarter. Unfortunately, the current circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic have potentially postponed my completion until I am able to physically return to campus. However, I am still applying for grants to hopefully secure funding to follow through with proper archival once I am able. College of Arts & Humanities Presentation Award Winner.