Costume and Textiles

The costume collection includes men's, women's and children's costume and accessories dating from 1720 to recent times. The main strengths of the collection include:

Women’s day and evening dresses dating from 1750 to recent times including a rare court mantua dress c.1750 possibly worn by a Carlisle woman, Margery Jackson (1722–1812).

Wedding dresses dating from 1770 to 1979.

Men’s waistcoats dating from the 18th century to the early twentieth century. 

Underwear, outerwear, shawls, hats, shoes, fans, bags, jewellery, buttons.

The textile collection strengths include:

Important quilt collection consisting of fifty wholecloth and patchwork quilts and coverlets dating from around 1700 to 1950. There are a number of locally important examples.

Forty samplers dating from 1689 to 1930.

Ayrshire work christening robes, collars and cuffs.

Peacock rag rug dated around 1975 designed by Winifred Nicholson (1893–1981)

Sky Felt 1981 by Jenny Cowern (1943–2005)