The history of science and technology has been the subject of a number of general works, especially for the medieval and modern periods. However few of these works offer materials incorporating the new methodological trends developed by historians of science and technology. The original source materials included in this book reveal the inner working of early modern workshops and laboratories and explore contemporary controversies. They also provide materials for the understanding of the socio-cultural frameworks of innovation practices and processes in the early modern period. The new 2017 collection features for the first time contents that span a broad chronological and geographical space, entitled ‘Science, technology, government and corporations, from the fifteenth century to the eighteenth century in England, France, Netherlands / United Provinces and Italian peninsula’. This collection of documents help French historians to acquire a rich vision of the history of scientific and technical knowledge between the late Middle Ages and the end of the modern period, and explore its interactions with the social, political and cultural sphere.
Discover the people, art and technology of Norwich Textiles – then, now and tomorrow
The city of Norwich witnessed hundreds of years of thriving textile manufacture. Norwich Textiles will provide resources for the study of this enterprise, its history and contemporary practice. We aim to inform, inspire and spark off new initiatives for textiles in Norwich and beyond.
The Norwich Texiles Project
The web-site has been created as part of the Norwich Textiles project, a collaboration of Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service and Norwich School of Art and Design. The project has been devised and facilitated by Cathy Terry, Curator of Social History, NMAS and Victoria Mitchell, Senior Lecturer and Course Leader, Textile Culture, NSAD. It has been funded by HEIFF II as part of its Innovations Programme. As part of this project, local researchers have worked with curators to contribute their valuable knowledge to provide a comprehensive resource. At the same time, students and practitioners working within a modern textiles environment have created a contemporary perspective on the Norwich textiles story.
Fashion and Technology will examine how, throughout history, fashion has engaged with technological advancement and been altered by it. Time and again, fashion’s dynamic relationship with technology has both expanded its aesthetic vocabulary and streamlined its means of production.
In recent years, designers have made technology a focal point of their collections, but as early as the mid-18th century, technological advancements were shaping fashion design and fabrication. The development of aniline dyes, the sewing machine, synthetic fibers, and zippers have all sent fashion in new directions. More recently, so have wireless circuitry and the creation of fashion design software. Technologies outside of the fashion industry also contribute to change within it. These include global transportation, the internet, blogging, online retailing, and the increased speed of global communication through digital platforms and social-media outlets.
The goal of this exhibition is to analyze the impact of technologies on the nature of fashion and its design, and to question whether these developments push the industry forward or ultimately set it back. Fashion and Technology will begin with a display of examples from the 18th and 19th centuries, such as a 1780s suit made with a machine-knit textile, and an 1860s dress produced using synthetic dyes. From there, it will showcase prominent developments from different time periods, travelling chronologically all the way to the present day.
The exhibition will feature objects exclusively from The Museum at FIT’s costume collection alongside a selection of textiles and accessories that highlight the multifaceted nature of technological developments. The use of video monitors and computers will enhance the exhibition, offering the opportunity to showcase works by small, cutting-edge design teams, such as the Dutch label Freedom of Creation, alongside pieces by fashion icons such as Elsa Schiaparelli, André Courrèges, Issey Miyake, and Nicholas Ghesquière for Balenciaga. Fashion and Technology is organized by Ariele Elia and Emma McClendon.