Industrial Art, Textile, and Costume (Exhibition)

Exist Dates

1919 November 12 - 1919 November 27

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract

Exhibition. Opened November 12, 1919 and closed November 27, 1919. Located in exhibition halls that are unnamed in Museum documentation. Industrial Art, Textile, and Costume at the American Museum of Natural History was curated by H.J. Spinden and M.D.C. Crawford and demonstrated connections between modern textile design and designs of indigenous cultures from around the world.

Summary

Industrial Art, Textile, and Costume at the American Museum of Natural History was curated by H.J. Spinden, assistant curator of Anthropology at the Museum, and M.D.C. Crawford, research associate in textiles at the Museum and design editor at Women's Wear, and demonstrated connections between modern textile design and the designs of indigenous cultures from around the world (1, p. 49-50). Its stated goals were to bring attention to advances in industrial art in textiles and costumes in the United States, to show how these advancements were achieved, to emphasize the social and commercial value of textile and costume design as a national art, and to encourage training in public and private schools in related skills in the United States. The exhibition was intended to be non-competitive, in contrast to contests and competitive competitions in New York City in which Crawford had previously been involved (2, p. 3-4). Exhibitors were asked to relate their finished products to the sources of their inspiration and to show mechanical processes in the manufacture. The Museum provided exhibits on the history of early machines and processes in making textiles and the range of form and ornament in ethnological collections. These were illustrated with photographs, lantern slides, models, and specimens (2, p. 5).

Exhibitors were David Aaron and Company, American Bead Company, Elizabeth Austin, A. Beller and Company, Emile Bernat, Blanck and Company, Sidney Blumenthal, Chamber of Commerce of Paterson, NJ, Cheney Brothers, Harry Collins, Crawshaw Carpet Company, Lockwood De Forest, B.C. Faulkner, Marshall Field and Company, A.H. Flanders and Company, Funsten Brothers, John Held, H. Hiramoto, Johnson Cowdin and Company, Otto Kahn, Kevorkian Galleries, H.R. Mallinson and Company, Inc., J.A. Migel, Inc., Laura Moses, Marion Powys, Ruth Reeves, Martha Ryther, Miss Simonds, Hazel Burnham Slaughter, Mary Tannahill, A.M. Tozzer, Winifred Warren, J. Wise Company, Nell Witters, and Women's Wear (Spiden bklt 19). Members of the Committee of Organization for the exhibition were David Aaron, M.D.C. Crawford, Stewart Culin, Max Meyer, Jesse Franklin Turner, and Herbert J. Spinden. The Executive Committee consisted of M.D.C. Crawford, F.A. Lucas, George A. Sherwood, Herbert J. Spinden, and Clark Wissler (2, p. 2).

In his booklet on the exhibition, Spinden thanked Albert Blum of the United Piece Dye Works, the Museum of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, the Design Department of Women's Wear, W. and J. Sloane and Company, and L.E. Weisgerber of Lord and Taylor for "favors and services rendered"(2, p. 2).

Costume highlights (2, p. 6-8):

*A. Beller and Company. - Cloaks and suits made using Museum specimens from Tungus tribes from Siberia, the Ainu of Japan, and the Bagobo of the Philippines

*Harry Collins – Costumes, including H.R. Mallinson and Company based on a Peruvian woven mantle

*B.C. Faulkner – Blouses

*Otto Kahn – Furs

*Winifred Warren – Tea gowns and negligees by Jesse Franklin Turner, including example based on Persian embroidery specimen from the Museum of the Brooklyn Institute

*J. Wise Company – Children's and misses' dresses based on designs from the Philippines, Guatemala, and Burma *

*Live costume design demonstrations by the staff of Women's Wear

*Costume books

*Contest posters and other material documenting campaign for a national expression of industrial art

Textiles highlights (2, p. 11):

*Emile Bernat – Tapestry weaving

*Sidney Blumenthal – Velvets

*Cheney Brothers – Silk yarns and silk fabrics

*Marshall Field and Company - Block and cylinder printed cretonnes

*Johnson Cowdin and Company - Ribbons

*H.R. Mallinson and Company - Dress silks and block printing

*J.A. Migel, Inc. - Jacquard printing

This is a condensed summary of the exhibition. For additional information, see Sources and/or Related Resources.

Sources

(1) American Museum of Natural History. Annual Reports. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1919: 49-50, 140-141.

(2) Spiden, Herbet J. Exhibition of Industrial Art in Textiles and Costumes : November 13 to 27, 1919 a the American Museum of Natural History. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1919.

For more information on this exhibition see:

"Costume Exhibition Opens: Modern Industrial Art Based on Designs of Primitive Peoples." New York Times, November 13, 1919.

New York Evening Sun, September 27, 1919.

Crawford, M.D.C., Ed. "Industrial Exhibition in Museum of Natural History to Develop Organic History of Costumes and Fabrics." Women's Wear (September 30, 1919)

[Design Department.] Women's Wear (October 1, 1919)

"Industrial Art Show Attracts Throngs of Visitors to Museum." Women's Wear (November 14, 1919)

"Industrial Art Exhibition Wins Great Endorsement at Opening." Women's Wear (n.d., [1919])

Women's Wear (November 18, 1919)

Crawford, M.D.C., Ed. "Charles Cheney Praises Exhibition of Industrial Arts at Museum of Natural History and Points Out Possibilities of Development." Women's Wear (November 25, 1919)

Crawford, M.D.C., Ed. "Out of Town Museums Ask Cooperation in Staging Industrial Art Exhibition -- 'Winifred Warren' Display Designed by Miss Turner." Women's Wear (? 17, 1919)

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Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

A. Beller and Company
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

A.H. Flanders and Company
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Aaron, David
Member, Committee of Organization for exhibition (2, p. 2).

American Bead Company, Inc.
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

American Museum of Natural History. Department of Anthropology.
Related department

Austin, Elizabeth
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Bernat, Emile
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Blanck and Company
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Blum, Albert
"favors and services rendered"; of United Piece Dye Works (2, p. 2)

Blumenthal, Sidney, 1865-1948
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. Museum
"favors and services rendered"; provided specimen of Persian embroidery (2, p. 2, 7)

Cheney Brothers
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Collins, Harry, 1884-1980
Exhibitor; most likely "Collins, Harry, 1884-1980" (2, p. 19)

Crawford, M.D.C (Morris De Camp) 1882-1949
Curator of exhibition; member of Committee of Organization and Executive Committee for exhibition; research associate in textiles at the Museum; design editor, Women's Wear (1, p. 49-50; 2, p. 2, 4).

Crawshaw Carpet Company
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Culin, Stewart, 1858-1929
Member, Committee of Organization for exhibition (2, p. 2)

David Aaron and Company
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

De Forest, Lockwood
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Faulkner, Ben C.
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Funsten Brothers
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

H.R. Mallinson and Company, Inc.
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Held, John, Jr., 1889-1958
Exhibitor; possibly "Held, John, Jr., 1889-1958" (2, p. 19)

Hiramoto, H.
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

J. Wise Company
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

J.A. Miguel, Inc.
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Johnson Cowdin and Company
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Kahn, Otto H.
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Kantor, Martha Ryther, 1896-1981
Exhibitor; as Martha Ryther; possibly "Kantor, Martha Ryther, 1896-1981" (2, p. 19)

Kevorkian Galleries
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Lord & Taylor
"favors and services rendered" (2, p. 2)

Lucas, Frederic A. (Frederic Augustus) 1852-1929
Member, Executive Committee for exhibition; Director of Museum (2, p. 2)

Marshall Field & Company
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Meyer, Max
Member, Committee of Organization for exhibition (2, p. 2)

Moses, Laura
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Paterson (N.J.) Chamber of Commerce
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Powys, Marion
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Reeves, Ruth
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Sherwood, George Herbert, 1876-1937
Member, Executive Committee (2, p. 2)

Simonds
Exhibitor; as Miss Simonds (2, p. 19)

Slaughter, Hazel Burnham
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Spinden, Herbert Joseph 1879-1967
Curator of exhibition; Member of Committee of Organization and Executive Committee for exhibition; assistant curator of Anthropology at the Museum (1, 1919, p. 49-50; 2, p. 2).

Tannahill, Mary Harvey, 1863-1951
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Tozzer, Alfred M. (Alfred Marston), 1877-1954
Exhibitor; possibly "Tozzer, Alfred M. (Alfred Marston), 1877-1954" (2, p. 19)

Turner, Jesse Franklin
Designer for Winifred Warren; Committee of Organization for exhibition (2, p. 2, 7)

W. and J. Sloane Company
"favors and services rendered" (2, p. 2)

Warren, Winifred
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Weisgerber, L.E.
"favors and services rendered"; of Lord & Taylor (2, p. 2)

Wissler, Clark 1870-1947
Member, Executive Committee for Exhibition; curator, Department of Anthropology at the Museum (2, p. 2)

Witters, Nell
Exhibitor (2, p. 19)

Women's Wear Daily
Exhibitor; staff gave demonstrations at exhibition; "favors and services rendered" (2, p. 2, 8, 19)

Related Resources

American Museum of Natural History. Annual Reports. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1919: 49-50, 140-141.

American Museum of Natural History. Research Library: Digital Special Collections.
Images 37755, 37762, 37764, 37765, 37766, 37767, 37768, 37769, 37771 37778, 37788.

American Museum of Natural History Special Collections photographic drawers
Repository: AMNH Special Collections. [Black and white photo prints of exhibition on view]

American Museum of Natural History Special Collections vertical files
Repository: AMNH Special Collections. [News articles, email correspondence, print-outs of catalog records for An American style : global sources for New York textile and fashion design, 1915-1928 / Ann Marguerite Tartsinis and Exhibition of industrial art in textiles and costumes : November 13 to 27, 1919 at the American Museum of Natural History : [a commentary and conspectus / by Herbert J. Spinden].]

An American style : global sources for New York textile and fashion design, 1915-1928 / Ann Marguerite Tartsinis
Date of resource: 2013

Exhibition of industrial art in textiles and costumes : November 13 to 27, 1919 at the American Museum of Natural History : [a commentary and conspectus / by Herbert J. Spinden].
Date of resource: 1919

Natural history
Spinden, Herbert J. "Series of Photographs from the First Exhibition of American Textiles, Costumes, and Mechanical Processes." Natural History 19, no. 6 (December 1919): 631-654.

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