New York Fashion Week is held in February and September of each year in New York City; dates for 2013 are September 5–12th. The Special Collections of the Cooper- Hewitt National Design Library in New York have always been a great research resource for people working in the fashion and related industries. We have in our collection a rare fashion title Robes et Femmes, published in 1913 by the Italian designer Enrico Sacchetti (1877-1967).
When I moved into my apartment many years ago, I got rid of the old fashioned, worn out linoleum that reminded me of the floors of my childhood, but I was intrigued by the walls in the living room.
In 2011, The Cooper-Hewitt Museum National Design Library was awarded a $96,000 grant from the CCPF (Collections Care and Preservation Fund, an internal grant awarding source) of the Smithsonian Institution to conduct a condition assessment survey of approximately 4,000 items of its Special Collections. We’ve done many preservation and book housing projects over the years, with repairs and custom enclosures made when the occasion demanded, but we’ve never had the opportunity or plan in place to look at the condition of our Rare Book collection as a whole before.
Over the past several years I’ve noticed a growing interest in wrought iron furniture- for both indoor and outdoor use, with people requesting information and images of furniture going back to the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. Is there is a retro revival going on? Are people restoring their old patio furniture or finding missing or replacement pieces at auctions and yard sales?
My name is Eleanor Peters and I’m the 2012 Peter A. Krueger Summer Intern at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Library. I recently graduated from Middlebury College where I studied Art History and Anthropology. Growing up in New York City, I was a frequent patron of the New York Public Libraries. On any given weekend I could be found maxing out my library card with books about everything from Egyptian hieroglyphs to the ecosystem of the Great Barrier Reef. Since then I have always had a love of books and a great appreciation for libraries and book preservation. From my own experiences, whether reading for leisure or doing research for my senior thesis this past spring, libraries have been invaluable resources and centers of boundless learning. Therefore I am excited to spend 10 weeks working with my supervisor, Reference Librarian Elizabeth Broman, to learn what happens behind the scenes at the National Design Library.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland celebrates the 60th (Diamond Jubilee) anniversary of her Coronation on June 2, 1953. She celebrated her Silver Jubilee (25 years) in 1977 and her Golden Jubilee (50 years) in 2002.
This fall, library intern Sara Rubinow will investigate collection development for communication design collections. The Library is interested in determining best practices for organizing current holdings and strategies for shaping more »
