Textile Collection

GMDs textile collection consists of approximately 3,600 items, and includes both flat textiles (fabric as it comes directly from the loom) and articles of home furnishings made from textiles. Fragments and swatches illustrate the historical development of western design and technology and support history of textiles courses. The earliest examples date from the mid-1600s, but the majority come from the eighteenth to twentieth-centuries. Other flat textiles are international in scope, reflecting various ethnic traditions -- African, Latin American, Middle Eastern, South Central Asian, Far Eastern, and Scandinavian. Household textiles, such as rugs, carpets, draperies, and table coverings, represent European, American, Native American, and Far Eastern cultures. American pieced quilts and coverlets are included in this collection.

The textile collection started before the the GMDs existence, with individual examples of designs and techniques used in the classroom. Largely through donation, this collection has grown substantially.  It is a mark of the museum's prominence that in 1998 it was chosen (along with The Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the University's Manuscripts Division) to house the design archive of Jack Lenor Larsen, one of the most innovative and influential textile designers of the twentieth-century.

GMDs collection is housed in climate controlled storage areas and are not on permanent public display.  However, they are teaching collections and the public is encouraged to utilize this unique resource.

To view objects from any of the collections areas, appointments can be scheduled one to two weeks in advance. Please call the Research Center at 612-625-2737 or email gmd@umn.edu and we will be happy to assist you.

Click here to view a sample of textiles from the collection.