The grant will provide the collection with museum-quality storage units that will hold fragile Victorian crazy quilts, late 18th and 19th century garments, designer ball gowns and other valuable garments and flat textiles. Items from the collection are displayed frequently in the Gustafson Gallery, located in Room 145 of the Gifford Building on campus.
All exhibits are free and open to the public.
A matching gift from the estate of Virginia Webster will ensure critical conservation of the collection. The collection is used by students and members of the public, and enables scholars to conduct research related to special interests such as textile conservation, myth vs. reality of western apparel in film, the development of suits for women and the apparel and appearance of free black women in the 19th century. The upgrades to the collection's storage will be completed in about a year. Workshops presented by a consultant conservator will provide staff and volunteers with standard care and handling procedures. The 1999-2000 Conservation Project Support award granted to Colorado State supports projects that help museums safeguard their collections.