The JMU Historic Clothing Collection is a holding of approximately 1600 items of dress, accessories and related ephemera dating from c. 1840 - 1970. It is stored in the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts Center, and is managed and administered by the College of Visual and Performing Arts Office of Creative Propulsion under the direction of Professor Emeritus Pamela Schuelke Johnson, of the School of Theatre and Dance. The Historic Clothing Collection exists for the the purposes of teaching, research and service to the university community and its outreach. It is a study collection, not open to the general public, whose archives are specific to a context. The Collection was created by Johnson as a study collection which evolved into, and was formalized in 1993, with special emphasis on providing hands-on learning opportunities. It has been developed subsequently through support of a Faculty Summer Research Grant, a Faculty Educational Leave, some fiscal resources through the School of Theatre and Dance, the College of Visual and Performing Arts and private donations. Registration, documentation, research, and accessioning are ongoing.

Originally developed from costume stock used in theatre productions, the collection grew through donations from alumni, local community members, and academic departments, evolving into a significant resource for the study of fashion, material culture, and regional history. Today, the collection contains garments spanning multiple eras and social contexts, offering insight into changing styles, cultural values, craftsmanship, and everyday life.

As a university study collection, the Historic Clothing Collection supports teaching, research, exhibitions, and student learning across a range of disciplines. Students work directly with the collection through coursework, independent studies, research projects, exhibition development, conservation, and collections management. The collection has been featured in numerous exhibitions on and off campus and serves as a valuable resource for exploring the intersections of dress, history, performance, design, and culture. By preserving and providing access to these objects, the collection offers hands-on opportunities for learning while safeguarding an important record of personal, regional, and university history.

To learn more about the collection, please contact OCP at ocp@jmu.edu or Director Pam Johnson at johnsops@jmu.edu