" The Fullest and Most Impartial Research...": Research Theory and Practice for Historical Dress Researchers and Hobbyists

Want to start researching historical clothing but you’re unsure how to begin? Join Christina Johnson to explore research best practices and pitfalls, how to approach and interpret bodies of evidence, and learn where to go to find sources. Participants in this course will learn the basics of analyzing and interpreting primary source documents. They will learn practices for approaching an extant garment for study using extant pieces. Instruction will also be given for interpreting contemporary images and artwork, and synthesizing information to draw preliminary conclusions or answer a research question.

This 1 day workshop includes:

• Exposure to research methodology and best practices, including discussion of common obstacles to research and how to navigate them.
• An in-person examination of extant articles, textual references, and depictions of garments in prints/portraits, including tips on how to approach extant pieces in collections appointments with limited time.
• Discussion on how to organize information in a way that makes sense for you and your research goals to make it easily accessible in the future. 
• Exploration of repositories (both free and paid) to broaden the potential range of information collected for better sample sizes, demographic data, etc.

This is a Beginner Level 1 workshop.  Participants will not be doing any sewing for this workshop, but will be engaging in Research Theory and Practice and should be prepared for a full/intense day of information and experiences. Good note-taking skills are recommended. 

Workshop cost is $85.

Class size will be limited to 20 Participants

Because of the nature and enrollment limitation of our workshops, we regret that we are unable to give a full refund for a cancellation.  If you cancel 30 or more days prior to the workshop, we will refund your fee less a $25 cancellation fee. If you cancel less than 30 days prior to the workshop, we will have to charge the full amount of the workshop unless we are able to fill your slot, in that event you will be charged only the $25 cancellation fee.  In the event of the workshop being canceled we are not responsible for any costs by the attendee for cancelled reservations.