The object I have been assigned is
an ivory satin corset with ribbon and lace trim that dates back to 1885. With the
corset in mind, I examined each posted reading on the methodology of artifact
study. I then extracted pieces of several of these methodologies and created
what I believe to be an appropriate method of analysis for this particular
artifact. Much of my method draws from E. M. Fleming’s original model, as well
as from Joan Severa and Merrill Horswill’s similar but modified method.
It
is important to begin with a description of the corset’s physical
characteristics. From the largest, most obvious aspects to the fine and minute
details, each characteristic must be noted independently. Observations will
include the specific textiles used, details such as the colors, and type of
ornament added. The measurements of the bust, waist, hips, and length, as well as
its weight, will be recorded. Details of the clasps, the type of stitching, and
if any evidence of wear is noticeable, will also be examined. The description
will be as detailed as possible without becoming burdensome for the reader.
Like
Severa and Horswill, the construction and design categories within Fleming’s
model are combined in the next step of my model. I will also include
workmanship in this step of my description, as many of the details examined
within the construction, design, and workmanship categories highlight similar
features of the corset. During this step, I will first examine the basic
elements of design, specifically the shape of the bodice, details of the bust,
and each seam. The skill and type of construction of each of these design
elements will be noted. This step will include specific details concerning the
stitching, whether machine or hand-sewn, the number of pieces of fabric sewn
together to form the corset, and the type of boning used to create the form.
Depending on these details, I will gauge whether the workmanship seems
outstanding, average, or of lower quality.
Next,
I will identify the object’s history. If the information provided is correct,
we know the corset was made in 1885. I also hope to learn both whom it was made
by and whom it was made for, as well as any subsequent owners the corset may
have had. Changes in the corset’s condition through the years will also be
included in the object’s history.
Lastly, if the corset did change hands, I hope to learn if its function
also changed. From previous knowledge I have about this specific type of
garment, I believe the intended functions changed through history, making this
piece of the description exceptionally important in the study. If, however, any
of these aspects of the corset’s history cannot be determined without using
assumptions, I will leave them out of observation and include them in the
analysis. I plan to only use factual evidence in the descriptive aspect of my
study.
When
I have completed the description, I will begin to apply analytical operations
to the descriptive details previously noted. Identification is the first step
in Fleming’s model, and I will follow this to an extent. However, while I will
include a brief identification as an introduction to the operations, it will
not be a key component to my study. This is because the object is most likely
genuine, as it belongs to a historic textile museum and has been accepted into
an exhibit on historic costumes. Since I plan on beginning with a detailed
description, I will not repeat it during the identification as Fleming
suggests. One aspect of Fleming’s model that I will include in the
identification is the function. Because the intended function of a corset in
general evolved over time, through details of the physical characteristics,
including construction, design, and workmanship, and the corset’s history, I
will identify both the intended and unintended functions in the analysis rather
than the description.
The
next step in my analysis is evaluating the physical description in terms of my own
culture’s standards. This step will include my personal emotional response to
the corset. I will also evaluate the workmanship to determine the quality of
the corset. Though the collection includes only one corset, I hope to compare
other similar garments to gauge where this specific corset fits into the
category as a whole. Because of the 1885 date, I will be able to compare it
with both corsets from early time periods and from more modern time periods. The
evaluation will include a comparison of workmanship, measurements, cost, and
rarity of the corset with other examples throughout history.
Cultural
Analysis will follow the evaluation. This will be a particularly in depth portion
of my research. When studying artifacts, it is vital to connect the object to
questions of identity, relationships, and belief systems within cultures
throughout history. I will analyze the various functions—both intended and
unintended—of the corset within its contemporary culture. These will include
the ideas of its function from different viewpoints of the time: the
(presumably upper-class female) owner’s, the men of her time, the lower-class
working woman, and society as a whole. I will focus on both gender and class
studies in the cultural analysis, as I believe both ideas of gender and social
class affected the function of the corset. Specifically, I will examine the
relationship that working-class women had with the corset; from those who wore
them to servants performing the daily task of “lacing up” their mistress. With
the cultural analysis, I would like to examine how both the earliest
introductions and the final decline of the corset affected society.
Finally,
I will finish my analysis with my own interpretation, and those of our present
culture in general, of the corset. These interpretations will include biased
opinions that our contemporary society may have towards the corset. I will
interpret the significance of the decline of the daily use of corsets and
whether it affected the liberation of women. I will examine whether the idea of
an ideal female figure today relates back to the use of the corset in 1885. I
will also include ideas of the corset as lingerie, and examine whether this
developed from facts I learn about this specific object within its culture. In
this final portion of my method, I will state the significance the corset has
within our culture today. By following this method, I believe I will be
successful in the study and analysis of the corset.
Outline:
I. Description
A. Material
Details
1. Textiles
(including colors)
2. Ornament
3.
Measurements
4.
Stitching and Seams
5.
Noticeable wear and tear
B. Construction,
Design, Workmanship
1. Skill
and type of construction
2. Design
a. Shape and form of bodice
b. Details of bust
3.
Workmanship
a. How details of design and construction
prove quality of workmanship
b. Rate the quality of workmanship
C. History (to be
included in analysis if no historical evidence proves these points)
1. Year
created
2.
Company/Individual who made the corset
3. Owners
a. Changes in condition between owners (if
more than one)
b. Changes in function
II. Interpreting the descriptions
A. Is the object
genuine?
B. Function
1. Intended
2.
Unintended
III. Personal Evaluation
A. Emotional
Response
B. Comparisons
with corsets from time periods before and after 1885
1. Quality
of workmanship
2.
Measurements
3. Cost and
Rarity
4.
Determine how the significance (and possible function) changed from one period
to the next
IV. Cultural Analysis
A. Analysis of Functions
1.
From various viewpoints within culture
2.
Lower-class vs. Upper-class, Genders
B. Affect of earliest introductions to final decline
V. Interpretation
A. Biases
B. Implications
C. Corset in today’s world
D. Significance in present
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