Library Costume Resources; A Supplement

by Tara Maginnis

Often the best sources for costume research are found under related subject headings, and even completely unrelated headings, (Painters, Photography, etc.). This is a partial listing of headings I have found useful in research, and the Library of Congress Call Numbers assigned to them. If your library uses another system, or if your librarian has assigned them another number within the Library of Congress System, you will still be able to find these subjects through your card catalogue.

CLOTHING CONSTRUCTION

• Dressmaking TT 518
• Dressmaking-Pattern design TT 520
• Leatherwork TT 290
• Millinery TT 655
• Needlework TT 720
• Plastics TT 297
• Tailoring TT 520

COSTUME CONSERVATION AND DISPLAY

• Museum Display Techniques NK 4705 & AM 151
• Museum Directories AM 10
• Museum Technology AM 5

HISTORY OF COSTUME

• Van der Weyden (Gothic) ND 673 W4
• Bruegel (Late Gothic)
• ND 673 B Durer (Late Gothic)
• ND 588 D9
• Holbein (Tudor) NS 588 H7
• Hals (17th Cent. Dutch) ND 653 H2
• Vermeer (17th Cent. Dutch) ND 653 V53
• Watteau (18th Cent. French) ND 553 W3
• Fragonard(18th Cent. French) ND 553 F7
• Gainsborough (Late 18 Cent Engl.) ND 479 G2
• Goya (Late 18th Cent. Spanish) ND 813 G7
• Vigee le Brun (Late 18th Cent. French, Italian & Russian) ND 1329 V53
• David (Rev. and Napoleonic. France) ND 553 D25
• Spitzweig (Early 19 Cent. German) ND 586 S6
• Brown (Mid. 19 Cent. Engl.) ND 497 B73
• Victorian Dress and Life DA 533
• Victorian London DA 683
• Victorian Street Life DA 688
• Victorian Scotland DA 865
• Sargent (Turn of the Cent. American) ND 237 S3
• Gibson (Turn of the Century English & American) NC 10T5 G448
• Lautrec (Turn of the Cent. French) ND 553 T7
• Serov (Turn of the Cent. Russian) ND 699 S4
• Pre-Revolutionary Russia DK 280
• Edwardian Austria DB 92
• Rockwell (20 Cent. American) ND 237 R68
• Couturiers and Designers TT 504
• Catalogues TS 199
• Men's Clothing HD 9940 U4

NATIONAL COSTUME

• Folk Arts and Crafts NK 800
• Paintings by Country ND 1- ND 5861
• African Dress N 4789
• Canadian Dress QH 1
• Chinese Dress DS 721
• Quaker Dress BX 7748
• Sioux Indian Leaders E 99
• Spanish Gypsies DX 251
• Tartans DA 880

CLOTHES FOR WORK, SPECIAL OCCASIONS AND GROUPS

• Academic Dress LB 2389
• Church Vestments NK 1650
• English Servants, Victorian DA 736
• Household Servants HD 8039
• Legal Dress GT 6230
• Medieval Pilgrims BX 2323
• Playing Cards (Royal Dress) GV 1233
• Prostitution HQ 144
• Transvestitism HQ 77

MILITARY COSTUME

• Armor NK 6606
• Armor U 810
• British Heraldry CR 1612
• Heraldic Design CR 31
• Japanese Heraldry CR 57
• Medals and Decorations CJ 5539
• Military Dress and Insignia UC 480
• Sailors VK 149
• Sailors Uniforms VC 303
• Soldiers U 750

THEATRICAL COSTUME

• Ballet Design GV 1787
• Bakst, Leon (Ballet Russe) ND 699
• Costume Design TT 507
• Costume for Theatre PN 2067
• Dance World Annual GU 1580
• Flamenco Dress GV 1674
• History of Opera ML 1700
• History of Theatre, America PN 2201
• History of Theatre, England PN 2581
• History of Theatre, Japan PN 2921 (etc.)
• Inigo Jones (Court Masques) NC 1115

MAKEUP AND HAIR

• Makeup for Theatre PN 2068
• Hairdressing & Wig Making TT 951
• Perfume and Cosmetics TP 983

ACCESSORIES

• Jewelry Making TT 205
• Jewelry NK 7306
• Millinery TT 655-657
• Shoemaking HD 8039

TEXTILES

• Fabric and Textiles TS 1449
• Lace NK 9404 & TT 800
• Painting and Painting Fabric NK 9500
• Textile Arts NK 8804
• Textile Design TS 1475

This is of course only a partial listing of sources. The majority of books on costume are located from GT 500 to GT 2340 and many of the above listed subjects are also to be found in this section. Another good source of research material to be found outside to core of costume books found in the "GT" section are the bound periodicals. Libraries often stack these separately from the books, and a trip to this section of the Library is usually worthwhile. The most neglected section of the Library is the "AP" section where all the "general interest" periodicals are stacked. Some of the titles which fall under the "general interest" heading are:

• Vanity Fair (1913- ) AP 2
• The Illustrated London News (1843- ) AP 4
• Everybody's Magazine (1902-1925) AP 2 E9
• Time (1925- ) AP 2 T37
• The World's Work (1901-1930) AP 2 WA
• Illustration Paris (1915-1955) AP 2 I3
• Life (1936- ) AP 2 L547
• Esquire (1940- ) AP 2 E834
• The Woman's World (1888-1890) AP 4 W78
• Godey's Ladies Book (19th Century) AP 2 G

Generally, if you find a call number which has been useful to you in book stacks, it is also good to check under the same number in Bound Periodicals. For example:

• The Theatre (1900- ) PN 2000
• American Fabrics (1948- ) TS 1300 A17
• The Studio (Arts Magazine. 1893- ) N 1
• Vogue TT 500 V7
• Harper's Bazaar TT 500 H3
• Opera News ML 106
• Museum AM 1 M63
• Musee Des Tailleurs Illustree GT 875 M8

Finally, if you're looking for an article on something very specific you need to check an index:

• A.L.A. Portrait Index NC 996
• British Humanities Index AL 3 B7
• Cumulated Magazine Subject Index (1907-49) AL3 C76
• Granger's index to Poetry (lists titles and authors of poems such as "The Divorce Dress," "Julia's Petticoat," and "The Song of the Shirt") PN 10022 G7
• Index to U.S. Government Periodicals AL 3 I56

Above all, when researching, don't give up. It's there somewhere, you just need to seek out related topics until you find it. I have only listed those subjects which I have had recourse to in the past: each subject requires its own particular search guided by your imagination and persistence.