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Sources for textile technique photos?

  • 1.  Sources for textile technique photos?

    Posted 05-02-2017 06:16 PM
    Hi, AAM Colleagues --

    I'm working on a book (think "coffeetable art book" type) about textile techniques from around the world; it's a collection of 25 essays by Deb Brandon, who is a columnist for Weave A Real Peace (WARP). In addition to the essays, we have great photos of the textiles themselves.

    The publisher has requested that we also include high resolution photos of artisans at work and/or their equipment, and that's where I'm running into some challenges.

    I'm still hunting for images of people, process, tools, equipment, work settings, etc. that have anything to do with several of the textiles/techniques/parts of the world.

    I've checked with a few museums, browsing online catalogs, for example, but so far, I've found only photographs of *objects* (e.g., a photograph of Zari brocade) and not photographs of human beings (and/or tools, etc.) involved in the *creation* of the object.

    We're still looking for these:

    Hungary: Matyo Embroidery
    Estonia: Handknit Mittens
    Philippines: Pina Cloth
    Scotland: Kilt Hose
    Japan: Fish Printing
    China: Miao Shiny Cloth; Pleated Skirts

    Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

    You can reply to the open forum or to me directly via email, judyb@greenfire-creative.com.

    Thanks,

    Judy Fort Brenneman
    Greenfire Creative, LLC

    AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo, Baltimore, May 16-19, 2024, click to learn more


  • 2.  RE: Sources for textile technique photos?

    Posted 05-02-2017 11:11 PM
    I would look at the work of Nancy Bush and Kate Davies who have both written a great deal on Estonian knitting. I am sure they will know where to find vintage photos of knitting Estonian mittens.


    As an avid knitter and needleworker, I will look forward to learning more about your book and when it is published. If I can be of any additional help, please let me know. I am sorry you aren't working on anything in Iceland. Great connections there! You should also try The Harvard Art Museums as they have many photos from travels in the late 19th and early 20th century.

    I wrote a piece on Annie Albers weavings that were used as bedspreads for the Harvard Law School dorms! It was requested by Gropius when he designed the building. I am sure the students had no idea what they were sleeping under!





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  • 3.  RE: Sources for textile technique photos?

    Posted 05-03-2017 10:42 AM
    Vogue Knitting has run illustrated articles on Estonian and Scottish traditional techniques.  It should have the images, or at least the contact info for the photographer or author who provided them. 

    You could also try the Costume Society of America list serve.  Someone who teaches world fashion may have images to share.

    Sounds like a wonderful book



    --
    Barbara Cohen-Stratyner, Ph. D.
    Suite 7C, 265 Riverside Drive
    Now blogging at outsidethemuseum on Wordpress.com

    The Genius of Geoffrey Holder is traveling again with Lincoln Center Education's Boro-Linc Initiative. The Library for the Performing Arts' tribute to the multi-talented actor, dancer, designer, and director can be seen at the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning through May 30, 2017.  Take the E train to Parsons Blvd. & Jamaica Avenue.  http://www.jcal.org/exhibitions 

    If you happen to be in Jacksonville, Florida, visit the Holder costumes and more images in our exhibition Dance Theatre of Harlem: 40 Years of Firsts, now at the Rita Theatre and Museum, April 15 - July 20, 2017. http://www.ritzjacksonville.com/Museum

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  • 4.  RE: Sources for textile technique photos?

    Posted 05-03-2017 09:37 PM
    Hi,
    you may want to check with the Fowler at UCLA and th Patty Anawalt archive of textiles. 


    ------------------------------
    Victoria Lyall
    Curator, Frederick and Jan Mayer Curator, Pre-Columbian Art
    Denver Art Museum
    Denver CO
    ------------------------------

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  • 5.  RE: Sources for textile technique photos?

    Posted 05-03-2017 04:53 PM
    Hi Judy,

    For Chinese textiles I would recommend contacting the China National Silk Museum in Hangzhou (http://en.chinasilkmuseum.com).

    Although you don't mention Southeast Asian textiles in your list, the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles in Bangkok also has some lovely photographs of traditional Thai textiles being woven--you'll find a couple here (https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/beta/exhibit/BAISotY_0RicJQ) but they have many, many more that include not only close-ups of the textiles but of the weavers and the looms.

    I hope that helps.

    ------------------------------
    Melissa Leventon
    Principal
    [Curatrix Group]
    San Francisco CA
    ------------------------------

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  • 6.  RE: Sources for textile technique photos?

    Posted 05-04-2017 09:01 AM
    You did not include Korea. Do you have enough photos? You can contact Korean Craft and Design Foundation for photos of artisans at work. There are many weavers designated as "national treasure" or "regional treasure" in South Korea. I can put you in touch with its staff if you email me at my college. This is Kyunghee Pyun, professor of history of art at Fashion Institute of Technology.

    https://www.kcdf.kr/eng/mainhttps://www.kcdf.kr/eng/main



    ------------------------------
    Kyunghee Pyun PhD
    Fashion Institute of Technology
    ------------------------------

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  • 7.  RE: Sources for textile technique photos?

    Posted 05-03-2017 05:08 PM
    Have you tried just typing the information into your favorite search engine? I entered "Hungarian matyo embroidery" into Google, then went to Google Images. I found this site, which include an image of women working on embroidery. Of course, you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holder.Folk art of the Matyó, embroidery of a traditional community



    ------------------------------
    Jacquelyn Wilson
    Archivist
    University of West Florida Historic Trust
    Pensacola FL
    ------------------------------

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  • 8.  RE: Sources for textile technique photos?

    Posted 05-04-2017 09:32 AM
    There is a lovely traditional embroidery technique called Phulkari and Bhag from the Punjab in India.  A hand woven cotton cloth is made then embroidered.  I googled  "Phulkari" and http://www.philamuseum.org/exhibitions/857.html  
    came up - an exhibition of a collection.
    Also the Panjab Digital Library has a digitization project underway to capture antique and rare work.  Their FB page shows a bit about it.  We have a large collection of these that were made into robes for the late Yogi Bhajan.  
    PDL's Phulkari digitization project is underway 
     My understanding is that Bhag (Garden) is the technique where the whole cloth is embroidered and Phulkari (flower work) covers less of the fabric.  However, Phulkari is the common name.
    Hope this is helpful!

    ------------------------------
    Gurufateh Khalsa
    Director
    The Yogi Bhajan Museum Project
    Santa Cruz NM
    ------------------------------

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  • 9.  RE: Sources for textile technique photos?

    Posted 05-04-2017 10:14 AM

    I didn't have time to browse the other replies at the moment, but, I might suggest reaching out to a few well known collectors, or collectors with reputable collections in the areas you are looking for technique photos in.  I say this because several of my clients have extensive libraries filled with obscure out of print impossible to find books and these books are very hard to find even in libraries with special collections like these. (the right museum may also let you come to their resource center and gather pieces via photos onsite)  Although the photo references in these books of course are not going to be current level hd digital photos and often will be black and white, I have noticed many photos in these books of people from various time periods practicing their techniques, whether that be stitching, weaving, dyeing, gathering raw materials etc.  I have looked a few times for some of these photos from the books online, but it is rare to find them.  So going to someone who has a library of these and asking for permission to peruse and scan or photograph the interiors would likely work well.  Many collectors love showing their books as much as they do their collection and the books are often very valuable and delicate items.   I have a collector or two in mind, but I would need to chat with them about the matter before referring you to them.   

    Best Regards,
    Jon



    ------------------------------
    Jon Aley
    Curator/Collection Manager
    ------------------------------

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  • 10.  RE: Sources for textile technique photos?

    Posted 05-04-2017 10:38 AM
    If West African textiles are included in the publication, then I would suggest contacting Boston artist Stephen Hamilton whose own work is influenced by his exploration of Nigerian weaving and resist indigo dyeing.  

    The MFA has a small collection of textiles from the Philippines given by the family of a local collector named Anna Slocum, who I believed acquired them in the late 1880s. She gave a much larger collection of carved wooden figures to the Boston Children's Museum. I am nearly certain that Anna Slocum was not photographing the abaca weaving process, but her connection to the Boston Children's Museum leads me to think that this and other children's museums may have uncatalogued images of the processing of fibers into cloth that would have been used for educational programs. This highly speculative, and perhaps not very useful!

    Good luck with this very interesting project. I look forward to using your future publication!

    Jenn Swope


    ------------------------------
    Jennifer Swope
    Assistant Curator
    Boston MA
    ------------------------------

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  • 11.  RE: Sources for textile technique photos?

    Posted 05-11-2017 09:54 AM
    I have a couple of suggestions for you.
    Did you try the various embassies? They may have information on their traditional crafts.
    The website ravelry has members who do many fiber arts. Contact me if you want more help there.
    Have you checked youtube for videos of people doing these crafts? You can then contact the maker about getting still photos.

    ------------------------------
    Beth Hansen
    Easton MD
    ------------------------------

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