Kirsty Hassard, Museum Placement Award 2011

By Kirsty Hassard

I am a Museum and Gallery Studies student at the University of St Andrews, and I have been working at the McManus, Dundee’s Art Gallery and Museum, cataloguing embroidery and quilting in its costume collection.

Kirsty's Report

I had had a student placement at the museum as part of my course since October 2010, and had really enjoyed working there, so the Costume Society placement was a wonderful opportunity to continue my work.

This placement reinforced the skills which I had previously developed, and enabled me to develop new ones. I worked on the collection between June and August 2011, cataloguing and digitising 502 objects. I was tasked with compiling information on the objects, transferring information from catalogue cards and object history files, and transferring them to Adlib. I photographed every object, and carried out object condition reports. This information was then inputted as a Collections Online record, which will be uploaded on to the museum’s online database. From the information that I gained from the collection, I developed ideas to make it more accessible, such potential physical output, volunteer projects, and educational activities.

One of the most rewarding aspects of the project was the knowledge that such a wonderful collection would become better known. It covers an amazing variety of items, ranging from tiny lotus shoes, worn by Chinese women whose feet were bound, to full military regalia. It covers every type of clothing: children’s wear, dresses, coats, bags, scarves (including one worn by its owner at the coronation of Queen Victoria), fans, military uniform, underwear, nightwear, jackets and hats. It ranged from the decorative to the occupational and utilitarian.

It has a wide geographical spread too: including costume from China and Japan, featuring amazingly intricate embroidery, and wonderful use of silks. There is also a collection of clothing from the historic region of Bukovina, now divided between present day Romania and Ukraine. I had never heard of it before I came across it in the object record, and I think this collection must have amazing historic significance.

I really enjoyed the research aspect of the placement, and it was fascinating to gain an insight into the history and development of costume. I could apply my research to the items of costume that I was looking at, so I was able to see how fashions changed, particularly between the Victorian and Edwardian eras.

I definitely developed some favourite objects whilst documenting the collection. My background in eighteenth century history has probably influenced my favourite object in the collection so far: a polonaise-style dress from the 1780s.

Thank you for giving me such a wonderful experience working on an amazing collection, in an equally amazing museum. I have learned an incredible amount, and I am sure that it will be extremely valuable in my future career.

Curator's Report: Fiona Sinclair, Museum Services Section Leader, Leisure and Culture Dundee.

After 12 weeks of focussed work on the Costume Collection of Leisure and Culture Dundee, Kirsty achieved the aims set down in the original application, and  shown herself to be an extremely capable museum professional. In a short period of time, 514 objects have been digitally documented and assessed for storage or conservation requirements. Recommendations have been provided relating to further possible volunteer projects, events, activities, and displays. Ultimately, the potential for access to and engagement with the collection has developed immensely, and progress has been rapid.

Thanks to the placement, it is now possible to answer more complex enquiries about embroidered and quilted items in the collection. Although these items had been documented by enthusiastic and knowledgeable curators and volunteers many years ago, an old card system had been used, and this information has now been transferred onto a more efficient electronic format. The placement has also helped in preparing information and selecting objects to be shown during the Quilters’ Guild National Conference in Dundee in 2012. Events have been arranged to coincide with this conference, and the Quilters’ Guild have been extremely helpful in offering to assist curators with event preparation. They will also be providing expert opinions on key items of interest.

However, even identifying the items of interest was proving challenging - but the placement has overcome these challenges and a comprehensive list has now been produced. Among the variety of fascinating items identified are a man’s smoking cap (1978-223), an evening handbag (1976-525) and a woman’s skirt from China (1990-17). It has also provided an opportunity to begin to assess the entire Costume Collection. This is a fairly sizeable collection, but due to its size and a lack of specialist curatorial knowledge it has been impossible to comprehensively assess its significance. The only way that major progress can be made towards determining this is by tackling the collection one part at a time - the placement has been the first step in this progression.

Leisure and Culture Dundee would like to thank the Costume Society for selecting us for the Placement Award. For us, this was a unique opportunity to harness the experience and enthusiasm of a student with whom we had worked in the months leading up to the Award, in order to improve and develop collections knowledge in a planned and strategic way.