About our Collection
Who we are
The University of Connecticut has a long history of acquiring and preserving garments and textiles pertinent to the history of New England. Since 1898, when the Home Economics Department was created, many talented professors and students have worked endlessly to amass over 8000 items, 3500 of which are garments.
Mission:
The Historical Collection of Costumes & Textiles is designed to develop and expand the foundations in period studies as well as costume and textile technology. We stress analytical skill as it relates to the structure and purpose of the item within the context of the society that created it. A secondary goal is to preserve the history of this area of New England and to understand the lives of its people with the goal of educating others about those people and their lives through clothing and textiles.