New textiles and dress gallery being created at The Bowes Museum

Article Added: 30/10/2008
A state of the art new Textiles and Dress Gallery is to be created at The Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle. Using the latest display ideas the new gallery is truly innovative in design – the aim being to present both textiles and costume in an exciting way that can be enjoyed by the general visitor and specialists alike. The new gallery also returns the display space to the original open design envisaged by the founders. The gallery will make use of previously covered columns and lofty ceilings to maximise light and display, which can be seen in the images below.

The Museum’s textiles and dress collection is one of the foremost in Britain; the founders, John and Joséphine Bowes, being pioneers in the field of collecting textiles in the 19th Century. They chose to represent all textile techniques and all European centres of production, from the 15th to the 19th Century. The costume collection is extremely popular with visitors, featuring a good collection of historic dress and accessories from the 18th Century to the 1960s.

Adrian Jenkins, Director of The Bowes Museum, said: “To be able to exhibit the textiles and dress collection much more prominently than in the past means not just more of the collections on display, but also the opportunity to attract new audiences. We expect the gallery to interest textile enthusiasts around the world as well as existing audiences.”

The Textiles and Dress Gallery will cost around £815,000 to complete and is due to open in summer 2009.