Janet Arnold | |
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| Born | (1932-10-06)6 October 1932 Bristol |
| Died | 2 November 1998(1998-11-02) (aged 66) London |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Clothing historian and author |
| Notable work | Patterns of Fashion |
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Janet Arnold (6 October 1932 – 2 November 1998) was a British clothing historian,costume designer, teacher, conservator, and author. She is best known for her series of works calledPatterns of Fashion, which included accurate scale sewing patterns, used by museums and theatres alike. She went on to writeA Handbook of Costume, a book on the primary sources on costume study, andQueen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd, as well as many other books.
Arnold was awarded the inauguralSam Wanamaker Award in 1998. After her death, theSociety of Antiquaries of London who had previously made her a fellow, created a grant in her name, as didThe Costume Society, which she helped to found.
Janet Arnold was born at Duncan House, Clifton Down Road in Bristol on 6 October 1932. Her father, Frederick Charles Arnold was an ironmonger, whilst her mother, Adeline Arnold, was a nurse. She was educated atThe Red Maids' School and took a keen interest in clothes based on the school's uniform for orphans. Arnold went to study atWest of England College of Art, where she achieved aNational Diploma, before obtaining her art teacher's diploma from Bristol University in 1954.[1]
Arnold took on the role of lecturer at Hammersmith Day College in 1955 and remained there until 1962 when she moved to a senior lecturer role at Avery Hill College of Education, where she remained until 1970. In 1971, she took on a part-time role of research lecturer at West Surrey School of Art and Design. Arnold went on to start working with the department of drama and theatre studies atRoyal Holloway College in 1978.[1]
Arnold's best known work was writing the series of books, includingPatterns of Fashion, vol. 1: 1660–1860 andPatterns of Fashion, vol. 2: 1860–1940. The volumes include a large number ofsewing patterns showing the change in fashion across the period, with crucial details of the construction, accurately drawn to scale. These books are regarded highly by museums, theatres, reenactment groups and students. She went on to writeA Handbook of Costume in 1973, a comprehensive guide to research sources in the topic of costume study.[1]
She helped ensure the accuracy of costumes for film and television, as well as ensure that museums had accurate replicas of outfits.[2] During the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, Arnold worked on her opusQueen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd.[1]
In the 1980s, Arnold was nominated first as honorary research associate and then honorary research fellow at Royal Holloway College. In 1981, she became a fellow of theSociety of Antiquaries of London. She was presented the inauguralSam Wanamaker Award in July 1998 withMark Rylance.[3] Arnold died oflymphoma at her home in London on 2 November 1998; she had been working on costumes forTheatre Royal, Bristol andMermaid Theatre just two days earlier.[1]
The Society of Antiquaries of London set up a research grant in her honour, which makes annual grants to further in-depth study of the history of dress and the materials from which it is made.[4] TheCostume Society, which Arnold helped to found, gives out an annual award of £500 in her memory to a student who has produced a reconstructed garment from one of her books.[5]
In May 2020, the rights to the out-of-print ''Patterns of Fashions 1-4'' books reverted from Macmillan Publishing toThe School of Historical Dress. The School is republishing the collected works as well as previously planned but incomplete volumes.[6]
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