Museums
Resources
Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing
A museum dedicated to the craft of hand block printing, in Jaipur India
Brighton Museum and Art Gallery
Includes the Fashion and Style Gallery
British Museum
Textiles from all over the world, including Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas and Oceania
Chertsey Museum
Olive Matthews collection containing dress, textiles, beadwork purses, lace, embroidery and needlework accessories
Crafts Study Centre
The Crafts Study Centre has a collection and archive of twentieth century British Crafts. It also has an on-going exhibition and events programme
Embroiderers’ Guild
Large crafts organisation which offers appointments to visitors to see its collection
Forge Mill Needle Museum and Bordesley Abbey Visitor Centre
Telling the fascinating story of the Victorian needle industry, Forge Mill has also become a regional centre for textile enthusiasts in Worcestershire with a varied and lively annual programme of temporary exhibitions and one day textile workshops
Geffrye Museum
The Geffrye Museum explores the home from around 1600 to the present day, focusing on the living rooms of the urban middle classes in England, particularly London
Hampshire Museums Service
We manage 18 museums across Hampshire, and advise many more. We are the lead museum for the South East hub. We have a large dress and textiles collection, held centrally in Winchester, displays across the county, and have a team of staff and volunteers available to show groups and individuals items in store
Harris Museum & Art Gallery, Preston
The Harris has a Costume & Textile Collection which includes over 6,000 items of historic and contemporary clothing, textiles and fashion plates.Highlights include women’s wear from the 1800s, a complete set of Forbes Watson’s Textiles Manufactures of India (1866) and a collection of Horrockses Fashions dresses
Horniman Museum
Textiles from Africa, Asia, North America, The Pacific and the largest European folk art collection in the UK
Macclesfield Silk Museum
Macclesfield has several textile-related museums
Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture (MoDA)
Includes the Silver Studio Collection
Museum of London
Includes 20,500 items of costume and textiles, some pre-1700 and excavated material
Museum of Reading
Reading Museum Service aims to be a centre of excellence in providing opportunities for life-long learning through real objects and original documents
People History Museum
The Museum collection originates from the the Trade Union, Labour and Co-operative History Society. It includes one of the world’s largest collections of historic trade union and political banners and is the UK’s leading authority on the conservation and study of banners. Banners and other items from our textile collection relating to the theme of the museum are on display throughout the galleries
Pitt Rivers Museum
Textiles from Africa, North and South America, Japan and the Pacific Islands
Quilt Museum
The Quilt Museum and Gallery is Britain’s first museum dedicated to quiltmaking and textile arts. It is managed by The Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles
Science Museum
Includes plastics, composite and smart materials as well as looms and sewing machines
Trowbridge Museum
Trowbridge Museum and Art Gallery tells the story of the once dominant, but now vanished West of England woollen cloth industry. It holds an extensive collection about the woollen cloth industry
ULITA
ULITA is an archive of international textiles that collects preserves and documents textiles and other related design material from most of the major textile producing areas of the world
V&A Museum of Childhood
The V&A Museum of Childhood aims to encourage everyone to explore the themes of childhood past and present and develop an appreciation of creative design through our inspirational collections and programmes
Victoria and Albert Museum
Collection of over 5,000 textiles spanning 2,000 years on display in the galleries. Sample online some of the best textiles for historical research and reference. Use the Access to Images database to find images and information about textiles and dress in the collection
Warner Textile Archive
Archive of Warner Textiles, now owned by Braintree Museum Trust
Whitchurch Silk Mill
An early 19th century textile mill in the middle of the small country town of Whitchurch, Hampshire