SYLLABUS | COURSE
OUTLINE | RESEARCH | VISUAL
RESEARCH PROJECT - Due:
October 5, 2004
Developed by Professor Sigrid Weltge
The Design
Center at Philadelphia University has a unique historic textile
and costume collection. Among its thousands of items are Coptic/Egyptian
and Pre-Columbian textiles, as well as French brocades, Toiles, embroideries,
Kashmir and Paisley Shawls, Quilts, coverlets, laces and a Swatch
collection dating from the 18th to the 20th century. The Center owns
Haute Couture and designer clothing, excellent examples of traditional
ethnic and western costumes, children’s wear, as well as fashion
accessories (shoes, handbags, fans, stockings, etc.) You are going
to utilize this rich resource as the basis for your research and
for writing a paper.
OBJECTIVE:
To explore and acquaint yourself with one of Philadelphia’s finest costume
and textile collections
To critically analyze every aspect of the assignment
To integrate supporting material
To document all sources through footnotes and a bibliography
To write clearly and succinctly, free from spelling, punctuation and grammatical
mistakes.
METHOD:
We will meet during regular class time on Thursday, September 2 at the Design
Center for an orientation and a discussion of your project. You are responsible
for making appointments for subsequent visits so that you can study and describe
your chosen object appointments for subsequent visits so that you can study
and describe your chosen object in depth. Nancy Packer is the Director of
Collections and there will also be a graduate student to help you. The Design
Center number is 215-951-2860.
PROJECT:
Your project has three components:
1. Choosing an object from the Design Center Collection
2. Researching your object and
3. Writing a paper.
1.Choosing an object:
Any object from the textile or costume collection is eligible for the research.
Follow your interests or your majors, whether it is textile or fashion.
2. Research
Historic research is part II of your project. You need to investigate the
time period or culture to which your object belonged. The Guttman Library
as well as the Design center has excellent collections of books. The librarians
will gladly assist you, especially with journal searches. The Design Center
has a Reading Room only. You must use the books there. General web information
should be avoided, especially if the sources have no attribution.
Include all sources in your bibliography.
3. Paper
Describe in detail the actual object in the Design Center collection. Focus
on construction, material, size, design, color, etc. This is where you
use your eyes, then describe the object as precisely as possible. Included
its accession number in your paper. Include illustrations, which will be
provided by the Design Center. Order these as soon as you know what you
will be researching. They need time to produce these.
Your double-spaced word-processed paper must have a cover page with:
my name
the name of the course
your name
the date
You must also write
an introduction with a thesis,
a descriptive essay
a conclusion
You must attribute everything through endnotes or footnotes.
Don’t forget the bibliography. Both should be in the standard format.
I suggest that you make an appointment with the Learning
Center immediately. Take your first draft so that you get help
with the mechanics of writing so that your paper won’t be
graded down because of poor written expression, grammar or punctuation.
It is imperative that you start this project immediately.
Do not leave the paper for the last days before the due date. The
Design Center needs plenty of time for making the illustrations and
you need enough lead-time to get help from the Writing Center and
the Library.
While I do not prescribe specific page numbers, I consider any
paper with fewer than four pages unacceptable. |
