Pinterest Board for Textiles at MET

New Pinterest Board for Research photos of embroidery from the MET

I am thrilled to let you know about a new digital initiative at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  The successful 17th century embroidery exhibition Twixt Art and Nature in 2009 resulted in a treasure trove of amazing conservation photographs of pieces using special techniques by textile conservator Cristina Balloffet Carr.

This is a digital initiative that aims to use social media in a new way - new boards on Pinterest will be added every week, each dedicated to a single object and presenting images that convey technical information.  

The success of this on the part of the museum will be gauged by the number of followers.  So get on there often and be amazed at the images which are unprecedented.  These are the types of images that are usually reserved for scientific publications and show the closest details of the embroideries.  I am thrilled because the access to information like this is usually limited to just a few of us.  I can just imagine the new materials, insights and inspired embroideries that will come out of this initiative as well as the scholarship that this will result from open access to research photography.  Please remember to credit Cristina Carr and the MET in any discourse you have about what you learn from the images.  And you will need to check with the MET on proper use/credit of images.

Cristina and I have been writing articles on a few of these objects for Inspirations, the first being a sweet bag.  The article is now coming out in the latest issue.  We will be treating a few more objects in future issues.

So please support this!! It is but one of many new educational digital initiatives that will enhance the understanding of embroidery and textiles by the MET and bring them to a broad audience around the world.  To follow and be alerted to new posts of objects, use the "Follow" button on the top of the page.  You will have to have a pinterest account to do so.

There is a second page on a specific and wonderful exhibit on tapestry and their technologies that is currently running at the MET (my tour group saw it a few weeks ago).  The exhibit has its own Pinterest board and it is really interesting.