Behind the Seams: Clothing and Textiles on Nantucket
Organized by the Nantucket Historical Association, the exhibition Behind the Seams: Clothing and Textiles on Nantucket at the Nantucket Whaling Museum presents more than 150 objects from the NHA’s costume and textile collections to tell stories of making, meaning, and island identity from across Nantucket history.
“So many aspects of island history can be explored through textiles and clothing,” said Michael Harrison, NHA Chief Curator and Obed Macy Research Chair. “The NHA is excited to present visitors with a rare look at some of the most intriguing objects in our collection—the clothing and textiles that people created and used on Nantucket in the past.”
On view from May 23 through November 2, Behind the Seams features clothing, accessories, household textiles, and tools for sewing and textile production from the NHA’s 2,000-piece costume and textile collections. Rarely seen objects, drawn from more than two centuries of clothing and textiles on Nantucket, demonstrate the skill and artistry of island makers and reveal the stories that clothing and textiles can tell.
Exhibition themes explore textile production and trade—from raw materials to finished garments—as well as the relationships, communities, identities, and values revealed by textile objects created and used by Nantucketers. Clothing brands that reflect the summer resort and products from the island’s robust craft revival movement further extend the themes of making and meaning into the twentieth century. Throughout, the exhibition highlights the persistence of sustainable practices, demonstrating how islanders have cared for and valued clothing and textiles. Together, the themes of making, meaning, and sustainability reflect Nantucket’s history as a seaport, its shift from a whaling economy to a summer resort, and the legacy of the island’s talented textile practitioners.
Behind the Seams is the first major exhibition of objects from the NHA’s costume and textile collection since completion in 2018 of a major inventory funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Carried out across eighteen months, this cataloging and rehousing project ensured the long-term preservation of the textile collection while increasing access and visibility for research and display. Plans for an exhibition based on the new insights revealed by the inventory are now being realized in Behind the Seams.
The guest curator for the exhibition is Jennifer Nieling, an independent costume and textile specialist who led the IMLS-funded collection inventory in 2017 and 2018. Her association with the NHA goes back to 2015 when she began the inventory project as an intern and mounted the first of many costumes for NHA exhibition projects. A graduate of Boston University and the Fashion & Textile Studies master’s program at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Nieling now specializes in costume mounting and display through her business, JLN Costume Mounting LLC. She continues to pursue independent research and has published on the history of Nantucket Looms and weaver Andy Oates.
The NHA is offering an exciting slate of gallery activities and public programs, special events, and workshops to support the exhibition. At the Whaling Museum, a free lecture series features talks by scholars and artists, loom weaving demonstrations are being provided by local practitioners, and a range of family-friendly textile crafts are available in the children’s Discovery Center. These are joined by special community programs and events, including textile-focused Mindful Memories and NHA on the Road programs, as well as Decorative Arts workshops at the 1800 House. Visit https://nha.org/visit/info-times/calendar/ to see the current calendar of events.
Behind the Seams: Clothing and Textiles on Nantucket is supported by lead sponsor Nantucket Looms; supporting sponsors Murray’s Toggery Shop and Erica Wilson; and generous support from the H. L. Brown Jr. Family Foundation, Charina Endowment Fund, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Photography by Bill Hoenk. Courtesy of the Nantucket Historical Association.