Subject Expert
Office: JFK Library, U02C
Email: imiller@ewu.edu
Text or phone: 509.818.0559
Meet with Me (Office Hours):Wednesdays & Thursdays 3-5pm or by appointment, in person or via zoom.
Use the Schedule Research Consultation button above, for Mon-Fri 9-6pm. If you need to meet during the evening or weekend, please email me.
Sources for Cultural/Historical Context
I suggest that you look for highly credible overviews of countries, historical events, etc. via scholarly encyclopedia entries. Think Wikipedia-like, but written by experts.
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new windowScholarly encyclopedias on a wide variety of topics. Several history encyclopedias, as well as cultural studies.
- EWU Library Catalog This link opens in a new window
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Use the EWU Library Catalog, searching Articles, Books, Summit and narrow your results to the format "Reference Entry".
Don't discount finding books! Skim the introductory chapters, or look in the table of contents or the back-of-the-book index for your topic, to find relevant information for your query. When searching the EWU Library Catalog, change the scope to just EWU Libraries to limit to our collection, then note which call numbers come up the most frequently. Then go browse!
For books with lots of images, add "pictorial works" OR "illustrated works" to your search.
Prefer to watch a video? We have access to thousands of quality documentaries via AVON.
- Academic Video Online (AVON) This link opens in a new windowDocumentaries, feature films, performances, interviews, news programs and newsreels, demonstrations, and raw footage.
Historical Magazines & Newspapers
If you'd like to browse popular magazines/newspapers to get costume or set decoration ideas, here are some suggestions.
Have physical in the library:
- New Republic 1914-present - EWU-Cheney Main Level Periodical AP2 .N624
- Newsweek 1935-present - EWU-Cheney Main Level Periodical AP2 .N6772
- Time Magazine 1923-present - EWU-Cheney AP2 .T37 (1923-1982 is in Lower Level Auxiliary, 1982-present is Main Level Periodical)
For newspapers, we have a few titles in microfilm. But lots of historical newspapers have been digitized, and some are keyword searchable, and some aren't. But if you're just browsing for a date, searchability doesn't matter that much.
- Chronicling America (Library of Congress)
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Offers over 2500 digitized newspapers from 1789 to (at best) 1963. There are 48 Washington State newspapers included. - Elephind
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Keyword search across over 3,500 digitized historical newspapers. - Google News Archive
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Offers thousands of archival newspapers that have been scanned, but aren't keyword searchable. May browse specific issues page by page.
Some 19th century magazines, and lots of older than 1923 books that have been digitized, are searchable via Hathitrust.
- Hathitrust Digital Library
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A massive digital library, especially of texts that are freely available in the public domain. I suggest searching the Catalog (description part) for fashion, furniture, etc. and any other more specific terms. Limit to the default "Only Full View". These don't require a login.
Sources for Costumes
- UW Fashion Plate CollectionDigitized collection of fashion plates from some of the leading French, British, American, and other continental fashion journals of the 19th century and early 20th century. Stylistic periods include: Empire (1806-1813), Georgian (1806-1836), Regency (1811-1820), Romantic (1825-1850), Victorian (1837-1859), Late Victorian (1860-1900) and Edwardian (1901-1915).
- Casey Fashion Plate Collection (LAPL)Over 6000 hand-colored fashion illustrations of styles for men, women, and children, produced for British and American magazines between 1780 and 1880.
- EWU Library Catalog This link opens in a new window
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We have a wealth of books on costumes, fashion, and clothing worn in particular time periods in our collection and in our library consortium Summit. To request items, you'll need to Sign In via the red button.
Terminology in the EWU Library Catalog
"Costume design" tends to be used for books on making costumes. For broader searches of what people were wearing in X time, try:
(costume* OR fashion OR "clothing and dress") AND [timeframe, geographic area, etc. if you want to limit]
Location/Call Number
Most of the books will be given a call number that begins with:
- GT -- in a culture section, these books will be on the Upper Level
- TT -- in a "handicrafts" technical section, these books are usually more about the techniques of making clothing and fashion, and are on the Lower Level
Example...
Ethnic Dress in the United StatesCall Number: EWU-Cheney Upper Level Book Stacks GT605 .E35 2015Publication Date: 2015Link takes you to the catalog record, to see if available or checked out.
1-volume, concise A-to-Z encyclopedia explores 150 different and distinct items of ethnic dress, their history, and their cultural significance within the United States.
Encyclopedia of Clothing and FashionPublication Date: 20053-volume authoritative introduction to fashion, the industry, and the issues that have defined the field. Some 640 articles and 325 contributors describe couture and textiles, from fabrics of chintz, corduroy, and feathers to such garb as aprons, bikinis, and prison dress.
Examples of Reference Sets
These do not leave the library. You can request that we scan a section for you. Just click the link Request a scan of a chapter or excerpt.
Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through American History, 1900 to the PresentCall Number: EWU-Cheney Main Level Reference GT615 .G74 2008Publication Date: 20082-volume set provides two levels of information: descriptions of styles of clothes that Americans have worn and why they wore those types of clothes.
Sources for Furniture & Decoration
- EWU Library Catalog This link opens in a new window
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Search for books, videos, articles and more at EWU Libraries, Summit Libraries and beyond. While not required, if you want the full functionality (save or request items, etc.), please sign in with your NetID.
Terminology in the EWU Library Catalog
Try (furniture* OR "decorative arts") AND [timeframe, geographic area, etc. if you want to limit]
Location/Call Number
Most of the books will be given a call number that begins with:
- NK = Decorative Arts
Example...
1000 Masterpieces of Decorative ArtPublication Date: 2015From ancient Sumerian pottery to Tiffany stained glass, decorative art had been a fundamental part of the human experience for generations. While fine art is confined to galleries and museums, decorative art is the art of the every day, combining beauty with functionality in objects ranging from the prosaic to the fantastical.
Examples of Reference Sets
These do not leave the library.
History of DesignCall Number: EWU-Cheney Main Level Reference NK600 .H57 2013Publication Date: 2013Spanning six centuries of global design, this far-reaching survey is the first to offer an account of the vast history of decorative arts and design produced in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Indian subcontinent, and the Islamic world, from 1400 to the present. Meticulously documented and lavishly illustrated, the volume covers interiors, furniture, textiles and dress, glass, graphics, metalwork, ceramics, exhibitions, product design, landscape and garden design, and theater and film design.
