Critical Comparative Analyses of the Display and Interpretation of Two Historical Costume Collections in the United Kingdom

Historical costume and textiles convey cultural meanings and values; a display gets people to see things. Different display techniques allow visitors to engage visually with objects and allow the curator to send certain messages. Therefore the ways in which historical costumes and textiles are displayed reflect a museum’s approach to its collections. The aim of this paper is to analyse and compare the displays of costume collections in two museums in the United Kingdom: Lotherton Hall in Leeds and Bankfield Museum in Halifax. This paper also discusses the difficulties of exhibiting costumes and possible solutions. It also explores the interpretation of textiles and costumes in order to reveal questions of historical value and hidden cultural messages.