The Textile Museum in Washington, D.C. and its website offer a great look into an oft-ignored medium. Historic textiles, functional textiles, and art textiles can all be found on this museum's website, thanks to the collecting savvy of George Hewitt Myers, who founded the museum in 1925. Visitors will enjoy learning about the Textile of the Month when they go to the "Collections" link, found under "Exhibitions and Collections". Scroll down after reading the introductory paragraphs to "Collections", to learn about almost 60 textiles that have been featured as a textile of the month. There is a sock, (possibly from Egypt) from the 12th century, a 19th Century Bhutanese Throne Cover and an intriguing raffia skirt from 20th century Zaire. Visitors can click on the title below the thumbnail image of the textile to see it expanded in all its glory. Visitors can also read about what the textile is made from, how it was made, and how it was worn. As with any type of art work, its conservation is of utmost importance. In the "Care & Display" link at the bottom of any page, visitors can read the techniques employed by the museum to combat cloth-eating bugs, store Oriental carpets, and hang textiles appropriately.
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