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Family and Consumer Sciences

Lois Jett Historic Costume Collection

The Lois Jett Historic Costume Collection (LJHCC) was started in 1962 by Lois Jett, a Fashion Design and Merchandising faculty member within the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Today, this teaching collection houses more than 2,000 items of dress, textiles, and associated artifacts from around the world. Items in the LJHCC date from 700 CE to today.

Contact

For more information contact LJHCC Director:
Jennifer Banning, Ph.D.
(309) 438-5960
jbannin@IllinoisState.edu

  • Vision, Mission, & Values

    The vision of the LJHCC is to stimulate interest and further study in all aspects of fashion history.

  • The mission of the LJHCC is to enhance teaching and learning by connecting students with items of dress that represent concepts discussed in courses. Hands on experiences with artifacts is emphasized.

  • The LJHCC values integrity, respect, equity, inclusion, stewardship, and experiential learning.

  • Education

    • LJHCC resources can be integrated into courses throughout the university by requesting object(s) to use in class and/or scheduling a visit to the LJHCC.

  • Exhibitions

  • Preservation

  • All artifacts donated to the LJHCC are used only for educational and research purposes. Museum standards are followed for handling, cataloging, and storage. All facilities are climate-controlled for consistent temperature and humidity.
  • Donations of artifacts to the LJHCC are not being accepted at this time while current holdings are being digitized.

Social Media

Follow the LJHCC on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube for highlights of collection holdings.