Inventory

The Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection

July—August 2023

The Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection (HLATC) is a teaching and exhibiting institution in the Center for Design and Material Culture at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The HLATC stewards an encyclopedic collection of over 13,000 textiles for study and use by students, faculty, and researchers. 

In museum collections, it is best practice to conduct an inventory every ten years and the HLATC was due. The goals of this project were to confirm the locations of pieces, check the conditions of objects, monitor for insect activity, note storage issues, and take reference photographs for unphotographed objects. I supervised two teams of student workers and volunteers and taught them how to handle fragile textiles, identify and remove insects, photograph objects, and enter data into spreadsheets.

During this project, I realized the benefits of conducting a collection inventory like making a collection more accessible through photographs. I benefitted from working with students from different departments and knowledgeable volunteers who taught me about textile processes and cultural significances.