About the Exhibition
Organized by the Nantucket Historical Association, the exhibition Behind the Seams: Clothing and Textiles on Nantucket presented more than 150 objects from the NHA’s costume and textile collections to tell stories of making, meaning, and island identity from across Nantucket history.
Behind the Seams featured clothing, accessories, household textiles, and tools for sewing and textile production from the NHA’s 2,000-piece costume and textile collections. Rarely seen objects, drawn from more than two centuries of clothing and textiles on Nantucket, demonstrates the skill and artistry of island makers and reveal the stories that clothing and textiles can tell.
“So many aspects of island history can be explored through textiles and clothing,” said Michael Harrison, NHA Chief Curator and Obed Macy Research Chair. “The NHA is excited to present visitors with a rare look at some of the most intriguing objects in our collection—the clothing and textiles that people created and used on Nantucket in the past.”
Exhibition Themes
Exhibition themes explored textile production and trade—from raw materials to finished garments—as well as the relationships, communities, identities, and values revealed by textile objects created and used by Nantucketers.
- Making. From raw materials to finished products, textile goods were both imported and created on the island by Nantucketers—reflecting regional and international connections as well as local industry and craftsmanship.
- Meaning. Clothing and textiles can be symbols of group identity, expressions of values, and can commemorate life events, community, and connections to the past.
- Craft revivals & Nantucket brands. The influence and impact of the island’s robust craft revival movement and summer resort-inspired clothing brands extend the themes of making and meaning into the twentieth century.
- Sustainable practices. Evidence of strategic construction and alteration, mending and fabric reuse, demonstrate how islanders historically cared for and valued clothing and textiles. Today, island makers incorporate sustainable textile practices by upcycling materials and reducing waste.
Behind the Exhibition
Behind the Seams was the first major exhibition of objects from the NHA’s costume and textile collection since completion in 2018 of a major inventory funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services. Carried out across eighteen months, this cataloging and rehousing project ensured the long-term preservation of the textile collection while increasing access and visibility for research and display. Plans for an exhibition based on the new insights revealed by the inventory are now being realized in Behind the Seams.
The guest curator for the exhibition was Jennifer Nieling, an independent costume and textile specialist whose association with the NHA goes back to 2015 when she inventoried the menswear collection and mounted the first of many costumes for NHA exhibition projects. In 2017 and 2018, she led the IMLS-funded collection inventory with the help of interns Meg Pierson and Ariana Bishop and volunteer Robin Campbell. A graduate of Boston University and the Fashion & Textile Studies master’s program at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Nieling now specializes in costume mounting and display through her business, JLN Costume Mounting LLC. She continues to pursue independent research and has published on the history of Nantucket Looms and weaver Andy Oates.
“The NHA’s textile collection is a significant one, critically important as a gateway for research into better understanding Nantucket’s history and changing culture. The multi-year effort to catalogue and better care for this collection has led to this point and we are excited to share this work with our members and the public,” said Niles Parker, Gosnell Executive Director of the Nantucket Historical Association.
Behind the Seams: Clothing and Textiles is generously supported by:
Lead Sponsor
Supporting Sponsors
As well as Generous Support from:
The H. L. Brown Jr. Family Foundation
Charina Endowment Fund
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Franci Neely
Mary & MacGregor Read
Denise & Andrew Saul
Melinda & Paul Sullivan
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Patricia & Thomas Anathan
Lisa N. Dawson
Kaaren & Charles M. Hale
Cassandra H. Henderson
Teckie & Donald M. Shackelford
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Kim Bepler
Maureen & Edward Bousa
Anne & Thomas H. Broadus III
Patricia & Barrett Burns
Patricia & Christopher Burns
Dorinda Dodge
Cece & Mack Fowler
Barbara & Ed Hajim
Andrew Law & David Rattner
Helen Lynch
Gary McBournie & William J. Richards
Ann & Craig Muhlhauser
Lorena & Graham O’Brien
Banner Image: Unfinished patchwork quilt, mid-19th century. Printed cotton, paper (recycled letters and playing cards). Donor unidentified, 1985.46.1.