As of July 2, the Museum is temporarily closed to the public to prepare for the exciting changes planned for our exhibition galleries. Selected education programs are still available by reservation.
The administrative offices, collections department, and the Osborne Library remain open by appointment. We appreciate your patience during our renovations.
Kit Vincent
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Saturday, June 3 - Sunday, September 3, 2006
The quilt as an art form is alive and well in an innovative special exhibition opening June 3 at the American Textile History Museum. Titled Quilt National ‘05, the exhibit showcases a selection of 30 quilts from the biennial international juried exhibition of contemporary quilts. Juried on originality, design, technique, and craftsmanship, Quilt National, which began in 1978, is one of the most highly regarded exhibitions in the contemporary quilting world. More…
Raspberry satin shoes trimmed with
rhinestones by Vionne of Brooklyn, NY, 1930s.
(Elise Morenon, 2000.130.99-A-B)
October 23, 2005 - April 2, 2006
Accessories tell a lot about a person in an exhibition that looks beyond the suit or dress to the last things we pick up or put on – and how they can mark an individual. These “final touches” are presented in historical terms and as a part of contemporary fashion to examine what we wear and why; how new technologies have created the need and/or desire for new accessories; how we change what we wear to keep up with fashion. More…
Tok wi Pasisir
c. 1920, 103 x 88 cm
Photo credit: Bernhard Schaub, Köln
May 7, 2005 - September 11, 2005
An exhibition of extraordinary historic batiks from Javanese and Sumatran courts and palaces, and a related exhibit of batiks created by American designers collaborating with Javanese batik artists, explore the complexity, color and sheer beauty of batik artistry and its ongoing influence on American style. Over 60 pieces are featured in this pair of exhibits including elaborate every day clothing with intricate patterns and color, special ceremonial textiles, and contemporary fashions in clothing and home decor. A catalog of the Smend collection is available. More…
November, 2004 - April 2, 2005
Textile symbols from America’s heritage celebrate our nation and the important role textiles have played in describing American views of country and character. Artifacts, ranging from coverlets to cloth labels and costumes in design motifs from stars and stripes to soaring eagles, are used to explore 18th, 19th and 20th century textile symbols and show how different points of view, all based on love of country and defense of her principles, have been embraced as patriotic. Selections from the ATHM collection will be featured including the “Butler Flag”, the first flag made in the United States of all American material, and produced in Lowell in 1865. This special exhibit, organized by the ATHM, is sponsored in part by Enterprise Bank & Trust Company.
Katherine Westphal
July 24, 2004 - October 10, 2004
Beginning July 24, the American Textile History Museum will team up with the Museum of Arts & Design in New York to present a remarkable assembly of quilts in a special exhibition tracing the development of the art quilt from the 1930s to the present. More…
Shirt #126
January 31, 2004 - June 20, 2004
The American Textile History Museum presents a special exhibition, Let’s Go Hawaiian from January to June, 2004. It is a fanciful look at our fascination with Hawaii, its influence on mainstream culture, and a lighthearted exploration of the cult of the Hawaiian shirt. More…
August 16, 2003 through January 4, 2004
Twice each year, the fashion industry presents a romantic spectacle. Fashion Week in New York is a time when top designers present the drama, fantasy and artistic talent that is the fashion industry. The creations that grace the catwalks determine to a large extent, what the rest of us will come to think of as currently fashionable. More…
April 12 2003- July 20, 2003
An exhibition exploring the work of several generations of exceptional artists who use fiber materials and techniques will be shown in ATHM's changing exhibit gallery from April 12 through July 20, 2003. Six internationally recognized artists were invited to exhibit work spanning their careers. Then each chose both an artist who influenced their early career and an innovative emerging artist for inclusion in the exhibit. More…
November 9, 2002 - March 23, 2003
Explore how generations of little girls' lives have been shaped by and are reflected in some of their most dearly-loved playthings - their dolls. From American Girl to Barbie to Grandma's cherished porcelain-faced playmate, this exhibition is a nostalgic trip through childhood and a look at how girls' perceptions of themselves and the fashions they emulate have changed. It will also be a chance to glimpse the fantasies of earlier generations of children and to compare it to our own notions of childhood, girlhood and womanhood today. More…
August 11, 2002 - October 20, 2002
Twelve winning entries will be the centerpiece of a juried exhibition of fine contemporary quilts opening at the American Textile History Museum in Lowell, Massachusetts on August 11, 2002. The Museum joins six other sites for the Lowell Quilt Festival, a city-wide celebration running through August 18. The ATHM exhibit, titled From the Mills: Contemporary Quilters, Historic Designs, is the result of a contest sponsored by the Museum and P&B Textiles. More…
September 2, 2002 - September 13, 2002
The Pentagon Quilts are gifts from the hearts and hands of freedom-loving people. They were fashioned in honor of those whose lives were lost on September 11, in gratitude of those who survived, and in appreciation for the heroic efforts of those who helped in the aftermath. There will be a special commemoration ceremony at noon on September 11 in front of the Museum. More…
June 15, 2002 - July 28, 2002
The first major exhibition from the company archive of Jack Lenor Larsen, long considered to be the dean of modern fabric design, opens at the American Textile History Museum on June 15, 2002 and continues through July 28, 2002. This will be the only venue in the east for the exhibit, which was organized by The Minneapolis Institute of Arts. More…
January 26, 2002 - May 27, 2002
When the heroes of The Three Musketeers exclaim, "All for one and one for all!," they commit themselves to a common goal and promise to protect and help one another. That pledge is the starting point for an exploration of the role uniforms play in all our lives. Every day we see people in uniform-police, firefighters, airline pilots, athletes, and doctors all wear uniforms. Often, that's how we recognize people and know who they are. But, is it really that simple? All for One & One for All!: Uniforms in Fact and Fantasy is an interactive exhibition of fun and discovery that features more than fifty very different uniforms. More…
September 16, 2001 - December 31, 2001
Two hundred hats take center stage this fall when Stylish Hats: 200 Years of Sartorial Sculpture - a delightful exhibition of over 200 hats and headdresses - opens to the public on September 16, 2001. More…
February 4, 2001 -May 27, 2001
Forty-three coverlets and a small selection of quilts, clothing, weaving drafts and accessories dating from 1830 to 1930, focus on thirty-two women to trace the important role handweaving played in Appalachian culture as part of a rich, decorative mountain arts tradition. This exhibition brings together the most extensive collection of woven art from the region ever assembled for the public. These art objects offer insight into overshot coverlet weaving with their bold patterns and unusual, bright color combinations. Many of the pieces are being shown for the first time outside the artists' local communities, giving visitors the opportunity to discover the relationship between traditional weaving and contemporary graphic design. More…
