The Future of the 20th Century: Collecting, Interpreting and Conserving Modern Materials

Modern materials, whether as art or everyday objects, are the basis of the contemporary material world. Accordingly, objects encountered within museums and collections increasingly represent a broad spectrum of materials whose preservation may be without precedent. This conference was the first meeting to consider modern materials in the textile field as a subject in its own right. Topics range from familiar textile types, such as costume, to more unusual applications in suitcases, wall hangings, furniture and theatre scenery. Some papers prompt the reader to reconsider what makes a textile modern.