Introduction
You may need to search for contemporary and historical images in the course of your research or for your own inspiration. Whether you're looking for historical images of costumes or hoping to browse the costume collections of particular museums or cultural institutions online, check out the resources below for a place to start.
For a more exhaustive list of resources than we've collected on this page, check out the Main Library's guide on Finding Images and Video.
Recommended Databases & Digital Hubs
The databases and digital hubs linked below allow you to search the digital collections of many cultural institutions, libraries, and museums at once! These are a great place to start if you are looking to browse generally and want to consult a range of resources.
- Artstor This link opens in a new windowNow part of the JSTOR Archive, Artstor is a database of digital images and associated catalog data, with new image collections added several times a year. The collection formerly known as Artstor covers many time periods and cultures, and documents the fields of architecture, painting, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, design, anthropology, ethnographic and women studies, as well as many other forms of visual culture. Users can search, view, download and organize images.
- EuropeanaEuropeana provides access to over six million digital items, including images, texts, sounds, and videos. It is funded by the European Commission and its member states, and includes content from museum, galleries, libraries, archives, and audio-visual collections. The extensive list of organizations that Europeana pulls its content from includes notable institutions such as the Rijksmuseum, the British Library, and the Louvre.
Selected Digital Costume Collections
- Costume Collection at the Museum of the Fashion Institute of AmericaThe Museum’s permanent collection now encompasses some 50,000 garments and accessories from the 18th century to the present.
- Costume Institute and the Irene Lewisohn Costume Reference Library at The Metropolitan Museum of ArtTexts and images from the collections of the Costume Institute and the Irene Lewisohn Costume Reference Library at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Please note that access to some material in this collection is restricted to computers within The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Costume at the Victoria and Albert Museum LondonAmong the Theatre and Performance collections there are over 3,500 stage costumes and accessories - ranging from complete outfits to individual headdresses. All are a tribute to the creativity and skills of designers and costume makers from the mid 18th century to today, in every kind of live performance - drama, opera, dance, musicals, pantomime, rock and pop, music hall, cabaret, circus.
- Costumes & Textiles at the Henry Art GalleryThe Henry Art Gallery’s Costume and Textile Collection provides a resource for studying the construction and design of fiber-based objects, their relationship to other art forms, and their historical and cultural role in the societies that produced them.
Local Collection
- Motley Collection of Theatre and Costume DesignThe Motley Collection of Theatre and Costume Design is a valuable source of documentation on the history of theatre and is housed in The Rare Book and Manuscript Library. It is a rare collection of original materials on the theatre comprising over 5000 items from more than 150 productions in England and the United States. These materials include costume and set designs, sketches, notes, photographs, prop lists, storyboards, and swatches of fabric.