Acting as a link between our stores and galleries, the North Court Store has served as a temporary home to many objects as they enter our Textiles and Fashion collection or are at the ready to go on display. As the space is soon to be converted as part of the V&A’s FuturePlan project, we are currently moving the remaining objects from these stores to the Clothworkers’ Centre.
While I am packing away these pieces, I keep catching myself checking the catalogue records for intriguing objects. While one cupboard holds a set of rugs, the next contains drawers of silk slips. One recent morning, I was met at the Clothworkers’ Centre by towers of 200 safely packed hats. Each of these objects has its own needs, and its own story, and it is hard to resist looking into the history of each. This project has given me access to a treasure trove of textiles.
To escape the piles of packing and tissue paper, in these blog posts I will profile some of the pieces I have come across and look at the histories behind them. Along the way, this should also give you a little glimpse into the management and tasks that go into caring for a collection of this scale. Let the treasure hunt begin.
