Spring 2012 - Dress and Textile Specialists

There is a clever use of magnets on the steel structure which support small object mounts and label
stands and allow for a flexible lighting system. Each LED, on a flexible neck, is attached by magnets,
to enable each one to move along the structure. The energy saving LED lighting, the easily available
and re-useable magnets and shop kit hanging elements, make this a good sustainable system for the
future.
This section of the display for the 1830s is a good illustration of the approach we took –
To layer a range of costume, textiles and accessories of that period, so that they come
together visually, at appropriate heights, making their history and the period more tangible.
For example, the placing of the portrait in front of a hanging quilt of richly coloured and
patterned dress fabrics.
To have all mounts and mannequins custom made in acrylic, to safely support the object but
not distract the viewer. The acrylic forms have allowed the visitor to see the interior of a
garment and the success of this innovative method has been overwhelming. Visitors are
intrigued to be able to see inside garments gaining glimpses of otherwise hidden details,
such as makers’ labels and stitching.
The monitors at the end of each case create a further context with fashion illustrations and Punch
cartoons, for example. We also filmed close-up details of items on display, like fine embroidery or
lace, the camera moving slowly over the surface of the textile. Most importantly the films introduce
movement, revealing how clothes would have looked when worn, using archive footage or in the
case above, a clip from BBC’s dramatisation of Cranford.
In conclusion, the success of the gallery displays seems to be the combination of the three new
interpretive elements:
the discreet acrylic mounts
the setting in context by layering objects
the addition of paintings to create a sense of time and place, and through film, which also
introduces movement.
These elements crucially work together, creating, for the visitor, a more accessible and engaging
relationship with the objects on view.
Temporary displays
Two spaces at either side of The Glass Cube are used for temporary displays, both fitted with
projectors for AV use, one with a large ‘display wall’ a flexible structure adapted from high quality
shop-fit systems.
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