This course looks at historical textiles and the stories they tell. From the grand-scale tapestries woven in Europe in the 15th to 18th centuries to an embroidered cotton bag given by an enslaved mother to her small daughter in 19th-century America, these stories may be found in woven figurative imagery, embedded in patterns and materials, or evidenced in a textile’s ownership history. They tell of designers and makers, collections and cultures, and often testify to the work of women and other historically marginalized peoples. Readings and class discussions will be supplemented with lectures by guest scholars, curators and conservators and visits to New York collections. Students will undertake a research project, resulting in a class presentation and a formal, research paper.