Museum extension project costume plates, 1940-1943

Collection Information

Size: 0.6 Linear feet

Summary: Handpainted, illustrated plates of period costume designs throughout history, accompanied by descriptive handbooks recounting the historical context of the costumes.

Biographical/Historical Note

Museum projects were programs of the Work Projects Administration instituted during the Depression to increase employment opportunities, particularly among the white-collar worker. By 1941, museum projects came under the jurisdiction of the Federal Art Program (originally the Federal Art Project) of the WPA. Plates of historical costumes as well as dioramas, costumed dolls and craft objects were often prepared for educational purposes.

Provenance

Donated by Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute. It is unclear how the materials came to M-W-P.

Restrictions on Access

Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.

How to Cite This Collection

Museum extension project costume plates, 1940-1943. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.