Pieced quilt. Made in England; used in Barbados. 1800-1825. Printed cotton. 949.259 Gift of Mr. and Mrs. R.J. Mercur.
Woman's dress. Canada. 1830s-40s. Printed cotton. 2014.62.9 Gift of Katherine Cleaver from the Cleaver-Suddon Collection.
Fellowship Year: 2016
Project Title: Printed Cloth and Pattern Culture: 1780-1880
Printed Cloth and Pattern Culture: 1780-1880
Dr. Sykas’ research was a continuation and expansion on his 2014 research at the ROM He continued to conduct a close study of printed garments in the ROM’s collection, that represented key developments in textile printing throughout the period. He investigated the intersection of design, production, merchanting and consumption in order to prove the significance and symbolic importance coming from these intersections, This project brings to the study of dress at the ROM: experience with manufacturers’ archives, knowledge of the technological evolution of calico printing, and an understanding of print cloth developmentin both France and Britain, telling the story of printed garments through key aspects of printing technology, colour, pattern, and motif.
About the Fellow:
Dr. Philip Sykas is an expert on the design, use, and various technologies of printed textiles. Currently, he is a Research Associate in the Fashion Institute of Manchester Metropolitan University (UK). He completed his doctoral thesis at the same institution in 2000 which examined the pattern books of 19th-century calico printers not only from a design perspective, but also from technological and business perspectives. He has worked previously as a museum curator and as a textile conservator.
Dr. Sykas’ 2016 research as a Gervers fellow was a continuation and expansion on his 2014 research at the ROM, pursuing areas he did not have time to study in sufficient depth. The objectives of his research were to conduct a close study of printed garments in the ROM’s collection, to select from these garments several that represent key developments in textile printing throughout the period, to investigate “the intersection of design, production, merchanting and consumption” in order to prove the significance and symbolic importance coming from these intersections, and “to contribute to a publication-ready draft about the printed garments in the ROM that would increase awareness of the collection, and inspire further research on print in fashion.”
Dr. Philip Sykas is an expert on the design, use, and various technologies of printed textiles. Currently, he is a Research Associate in the Fashion Institute of Manchester Metropolitan University (UK). He completed his doctoral thesis at the same institution in 2000 which examined the pattern books of 19th-century calico printers not only from a design perspective, but also from technological and business perspectives. He has worked previously as a museum curator and as a textile conservator.
Dr. Sykas’ 2016 research as a Gervers fellow was a continuation and expansion on his 2014 research at the ROM, pursuing areas he did not have time to study in sufficient depth. The objectives of his research were to conduct a close study of printed garments in the ROM’s collection, to select from these garments several that represent key developments in textile printing throughout the period, to investigate “the intersection of design, production, merchanting and consumption” in order to prove the significance and symbolic importance coming from these intersections, and “to contribute to a publication-ready draft about the printed garments in the ROM that would increase awareness of the collection, and inspire further research on print in fashion.”