For over three centuries, the textile industry held immense economic and social importance in France. Before its collapse in the late twentieth century, governments endeavored to control, understand, and encourage the production of French textiles. Based on the exhibition Made in France and the rich collection of samples preserved at the National Archives, this lecture will explore the great diversity of a now-vanished production, from the most popular to the most luxurious fabrics. They represent an indispensable source for understanding the history of France, from the mid-seventeenth century to the present day, and the lives of those who contributed to this industry—from the production of raw materials to final consumption.
A Dress and Textile History lecture.
Esclarmonde Monteil is a French curator, specializing in textile and fashion history. She has directed the Toile de Jouy Museum and the Musée des Tissus in Lyon. She has curated many textile and fashion exhibitions, the latest being Made in France, une histoire du textile at the National Archives last year. An alumna from the École du Louvre and the University of Saint Andrews, she is a knight in the Ordre des arts et lettres.
Object Labs
At BGC, we use an object-centered approach to advance the study of the decorative arts, design history, and material culture. Join our student educators before select events to learn about some of the objects in BGC’s Study Collection. Each week we will showcase three objects carefully selected from the collection, which includes over 4,000 objects in a variety of media.
October 22 and 29; November 5, 12, and 19; December 3
38 West 86th Street, 5–6 pm
Founded in 2011, the BGC Study Collection supports student research by providing opportunities for hands-on close examination of objects. Learn more about the BGC Study Collection here.
