MISCELLANY  



Costume Museums in Europe

I haven't been to all of them... I couldn't afford that. *s* Opening hours and prices are not necessarily accurate, more to give you an idea. As for directions on how to get there: Look at the museum's website or enquire at tourist information once you're in town. An opera glass for looking at the details is often a good idea. BTW, I'm always very grateful for corrections and additions!

countries: UK - DE - AT- CH - BE - FR - IT - NL - NO - SE - FI - CZ - RU





Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK
Mon-Sun 10:00-17:00. Admission £5.00
For appointments to see items not on display: +44(171)938842-0 (-1, -2, -4, -5)
Very large collection of costumes from c. 1630 to the present day. Photography permitted (or at least not expressly forbidden). I can wholeheartedly recommend it - IMHO it's the world's most important costume collection.

Museum of Costume, Bath, UK
Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 1:00-17:00. Admission £3.60 Tel. +44(1225)4777 89.
Photography not permitted and no decent catalogue to make up for it, but no guards anywhere. Display far from ideal (an opera glass case).

Gallery of English Costume, Manchester, UK
Tue-Sat 10-17:45, Closed Sun+Mon. Admission free.
Tel. +44 (161)224 5217

Royal Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, Tue 10:00-20:00, Sun 12-17:00. Admission £3.00
Tel. +44 (131) 225 7534
Scottish and European costume and accessories from the late 16th century onwards, European folk costume.

Shambellie House Museum of Costume, New Abbey, Dumfriesshire, UK
Daily 11-17:00. Admission £2.50
Tel. +44 (1387) 850 375
Costumes displayed in a Victorian-era country house.

Abington Museum, Northampton, UK
Mar-Oct: Tue-Sun 13:00-17:00; Nov-Feb Tue-Sun 13:00-14:00
Tel ++44 (1604) 631454
19th century fashion gallery

Pittville Pump Room, Cheltenham, UK
Oct-Apr 11:00-16:00, May-Sep 10:00-16:30. Admission £1.50
Tel. ++44 (1242) 523 852, Fax ++44 (1242) 526 563
Costume display (1760~) on the upper floor.

The Shoe Museum, Street, UK
Mon-Fri 10:16:45, Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 11:00-17:00
Tel ++44 (1458) 43131
Shoes from Roman times and since the Middle Ages.

York Castle Museum, York, UK
Mon-Sun 9:30-16:30 (summer -17:00)
Tel ++44 (1904) 653 611
Jane Austen costume collection.

Petersfileld Museum
Tue-Sat 10:00-16:00 (Mar-Nov)
Tel ++44 (1730) 262601
Costume researchers are welcome, I'm told.

Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nürnberg, DE
Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, Wed 10:00-21:00. Admission € 3.00 (free Wed after 18:00)
Library Tue 9:00-17:00, Wed&Thu 9:00-20:00, Fri 9:00-16:00.
Tel. +49 (911) 1331-0
Exhibits from Roman occupation to the present day, including some important late 16th century costumes described by Janet Arnold - which are probably not on display. But some (about 20) 18th century and traditional costumes are. Photography allowed, illumination not bad.

Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich, DE
Tel +49 (89) 211 2401. email
Tue-Sun 9:30-17:00. Admission € 3.00.
Only few mid-16th to early 17th century costumes (described by Janet Arnold), but their age and the fact that they're almost complete is worth a visit. Photography allowed, but illumination extremely dim. Some paintings etc that illustrate South German costume (15th-18th century). The bulk of 16th-19th century costume and Bavarian folk costume is not on display.

Modemuseum im Stadtmuseum, Munich, DE
Tel +49 (89) 233 22370. email
Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00. Admission € 2.50, Sunday free.
18th-20th century stock, displayed only partially as part of changing exhibitions. See Website for current exhibiton.

Kurpfälzisches Museum , Heidelberg, DE
Tel. ++49 (6221) 58 34 00. Fax ++49 (6221) 58 34 90. email
Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00, Wed. 10:00-21:00.

Deutsches Knopfmuseum, Bärnau, DE
Tel +49 (9635) 920317, Fax 920399
April-Oct only: Tue, Thu, Sun, holidays 14:00-17:00
Buttons from 18th century onwards, machines and tools for buttonmaking.

Internationale Spitzensammlung, Nordhalben, DE
Tel. +49 (9267) 375, Fax 1751
Tue-Fri 10:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00, Sat & Sun 13:00-16:00
Lace from the 18th cantury onwards.

Hutmuseum, Lundenberg, DE
Tel. +49 (8381) 5138
Jan-Nov only: Wed 15:00-17:30 & Sun 10:00-12:00
Hats and tools for hatmaking.

Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden, DE
Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00. Admission DM 3,00 Tel. +49 (351) 49 14 626
Somewhere they must have lots of 16th-19th century costume, but it's not on display right now (autumn 1999) and probably won't be before later in 2000. Call and ask them before you go.

Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin, DE
Tel. +49 (30) 20304-0
Under construction until 2002. Meanwhile, only a small part of the collection is on display - probably no costumes. The collection ist from 18th century onwards.

Kunstgewerbemuseum, Berlin, DE
Tue-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat & Sun 11:00-18:00
Silk fabrics and costumes, among other craft items. Partially closed (probably until spring 2003), so textiles may not be on display.

Schloßmuseum Jever, Jever, DE
Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00. Admission € 2.50
Library: Wed 15:00-18:00 and by appointment
Mid-18th to mid-19th century clothing from a rural town.

Deutsches Textilmuseum Krefeld, Krefeld, DE
April through October: Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, November-March: Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00. Admission € 3.00.
Tel. +49 (02151) 9469 450
2000 years of textiles - that's where the emphasis is, rather than on costume.

Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, DE
Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, Thu 10:00-21:00 Admission € 7.20, photography permit DM 2.00
Library: Tue-Fri 10:00-17:00
Museum for applied art with a textile collection. (temp. closed as of Apr 2000)

Museum für hamburgische Geschichte, Hamburg, DE
Tue-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 10:00-18:00. Admission € 7.50.
Tel. +49 (40) 3504 2380
Museum for city history with clothing and accessories from 1750s to 1920s. Info on the garments somewhat meagre.

Museum Plauener Spitze, Plauen, DE
Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat 9:00-14:00, Sun by appointment
Tel. +49 (03741) 22 23 55
Embroidery, handmade and machine lace, technique of lacemaking.

Deutsches Ledermuseum / Schuhmuseum, Offenbach, DE
Mon 10:00-13:00, Tue, Thu-Sun 10:00-17:00, Wed 10:00-20:00. Admission € 3.00
Leather and shoes through the ages.

Museum Weißenfels Schloß Neu-Augustusburg, Weißenfels, DE
Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00. Admission ca. € 2.5-3. Tel. +49 (3443) 302 552
Both ethnic and fashion shoes from Roman times to the 1970s. Illumination very good - do buy that photography permit!

Schmuckmuseum, Pforzheim, DE
Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00
Five millennia of jewellery.

Textilmuseum, Mindelheim, DE
Tue-Sun 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-16:00.
International textiles: gobelins, embroidery, woven and painted textiles, lace, clothing, fashion plates.

Modesammlung des Historischen Museums, Wien, AT
Tel. +43 (1) 505 87 47, Fax: +43 (1) 804 04 68
Mon-Fri 8:00-16:00. Admission € 1.80
With about 20,000 objects one of the larges fashion collections in Europe. Mainly 19th and 20th century ladies'. Includes public library with fashion magazines from 1786 until today, books, fashion prints.

Modemuseum, Wien, AT
Tue-Sun 9:00-12:00
Tel. +43 (1) 802 1657

Textilmuseum, Sankt Gallen, CH
Mon-Sat 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00, Sun 10:00-17:00. Admission CHF 5.00
Tel. +41 (71) 222 17 44, e-mail: info@textilmuseum.ch
Textiles, lace, embroidery.

Bally-Schuhmuseum, Schönewerd, CH
For single persons and small groups, there are guided tours on every last Friday of the month, 14:30 and 16:00, except July and December and on holidays.
Larger groups, by appointment only: Tel. +41 (62) 858 26 41
Ethnic and historical shoes.

City Fashion Museum, Hasselt, BE
Apr-Oct: Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00;
Nov-Dec, Feb-Mar: Tue-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat,Sun & holidays 13:00-17:00;
January and some days in November closed. Admission € 3.00.
Tel. +32 (11) 23 95 40, email: modemuseum@hasselt.be

Musée du Costume et de la Dentelle, Bruxelles, BE
Mon/Tue and Thu/Fri 10:00-12:30 and 13:00-17:00 (Oct-Mar only until 16:30), Sat/Sun 14:00-16:30
Tel. +32 (2) 512 77 09
Needle and bobbin lace from the 17th century onward, of Italian, French and Belgian origin. Also costumes and accessories of the same eras in changing displays.

Museo del Traje, Madrid, ES

Tue-Sat 9:30-19:00, Sun& holidays10:00-15:00
Tel. 91 549 71 50, Fax 91 544 69 70
Fashion, jewellery and accessories mainly from the 18th-20th century. Spanish traditional costume from the 19th century

Musée de la Mode et du Textile, Paris, FR
Tue-Fri 11:00-18:00, Wed 11:00-22:00, Sat&Sun 10:00-18:00.
Within the Louvre building. Huge (said to be the world's largest) collection from 16th ct. until just yesterday, but only viewable in changing exhibitions. Go see the medieval collection (tapestries!) for which the ticket is also valid.

[If you're into medieval/Tudor, don't miss the tapestries in the Louvre and the Musée Cluny while in Paris.]

Musée Galliera, Paris, FR (aka Musée de la mode de la Ville de Paris)
Tue-Sun 10:00-17:40.
Tel. +33 (1) 56 52 86 20, Fax +33 (1) 56 52 86 26
Only open when there's a themed exhibition on.

Musée d'Eventail, Paris, FR
Mon-Wed 14:00-18:00 except holidays and in August. Admission FF 30.00
Tel +33 (1) 42 08 19 89, Fax +33 (1) 42 08 30 91. email eventail@cyberbrain.com
A tiny fan museum located in a 3rd floor flat on Bld de Strasbourg. Fans from the 17th century onwards, the process of fan making. Doubles as the atelier of Anne Hoguet, the last fan maker in France, who will also answer questions, restore your old fan or make one for you.

Musée du textile et des costumes de Haute-Alsace, Château de Wesserling, Husseren-Wesserling, FR
Mon, Wed-Sun 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-18:00. Closed on holidays.
Tel : +33 (38) 982 6812
Probably mostly 19th-20th century.

Le musée des Tissus et des Arts Décoratifs, Lyon, FR
Tel. +33 (4)78 3842 00. Fax +33 (4)72 4025 12. email musees@lyon.cci.fr.
Tue-Sun 10:00-17:30, closed on holidays. Admission € 4.60.
Silks from Lyon and the rest of Europe from the Renaissance until today; French historic costume.

Musée du Costume, Bourg-Saint-Maurice, FR
Tel: +33 (47) 90 709 01

Centro Studi di Storia del Tessuto e del Costume, Venezia, IT
Mon-Sun 8:30-13:30. Admission free.
Tel. +39 (41) 721 798
Costume collection located in the historic patrician Palazzo Mocenigo.

Galeria del Costume, Firenze, IT
Tue-Sun 8:30-13:50.
Tel. +39 (??) 23 88 713
Located in a wing of the Palazzo Pitti, they display women's garments from the early 18th to the early 20th century.

Museo del Tessuto, Prato, IT
Mon-Fri 10:30-18:30, Sat 10:30-14:30
Tel. + Fax: +39 (574) 611503, e-mail: museodeltessuto@po-net.prato.it
Textiles since the 5th century, textile processing machines, documentation of dyeing since the 18th century. Changing exhibitions.

Nederlands Textielmuseum, Tilburg, NL
Tue-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat & Sun 12:00-17:00. Admission € 4.50.
Tel. +31 (13) 536 7475, e-mail textielmuseum@tilburg.nl

Nationalmuseet (Danish National Museum), Lyngby, DK
Oct 1-20: Tue-Fri 10:00-16:00, else 10:00-17:00. Admission Dkr 40.00.
Contains a costume collection (since 18th c.) at the sub-museum Brede Værk.

Norsk Folkemuseum, Oslo, NO
May through September: Daily 10:00-18:00. Admission Nkr 70.00
October through April: Mon-Fri 11:00-15:00, Sat & Sun 11:00-16:00. Admission Nkr 50.00
Huge open-air museum, exhibition of Norwegian costume.

Nordiska Museet, Stockholm, SE
Tue-Sun 10:00-21:00. Admission 60 SEK
Tel +46 (8) 5195 6000
Among other axhibits, a fashion gallery.

Livrustkammaren, Stockholm, SE
Royal armoury with a couple of coronation and other royal robes.

Kansallispukukeskus, Jyväskylä, FI
Tue-Sun 11:00-18:00
Tel. +358 (14) 626 840
The National Costume Centre of Finland. International and - of course - Finnish folk costume. Exhibitions of non-folk costume.

Nukke-ja pukumuseo, Tampere, FI
May-August: Tue-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 12:00-17:00; else Wed-Sun 12:00-17:00. Admission FIM 30.00
Tel. +358 (3) 2226261
Museum of Dolls and Costumes. 17th century onwards.

Umeleckoprumyslove muzeum, Praha, CZ
Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00
Tel. +42 (2) 24811241
Museum of Decorative Arts with fashion and textile collection.

Ermitage, St. Petersburg, RU
Tue-Sat 10:30-18:00, Sun 10:30-17:00. Admission 60 Roubles.
Tel. + ?? (?) 311 34 65 [x.1275], automated message: 110 96 25
Textiles from 14th century onwards and a large collection of lace. And of course the fine collection of European and Russian art containing a number of clothing-depicting works.

 


 

More museum links at:

International Costume Museums
International Shoe Museums
French Costume Museums

 

 

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