Beverly Gordon

Beverly Gordon completed her Ph.D from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has been working for many decades to raise awareness about the meanings and importance of cloth and other handmade objects in human life. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she taught courses in textile and fashion history and appreciation, material culture analysis, world dress, global perspectives on design and culture, and design solutions to 21st century problems.

Her research spanned the fields of textile and costume history; material culture; and folk, decorative, and design art. Her articles include studies of individual artists; varying aspects of dress and textiles; theoretical explorations of the meanings of souvenirs; the conflation of 19th century women’s dress and interiors; the underlying meanings of a “backstage women’s space;” and "The Hand of the Maker.” As an artist, she works primarily with assemblage and collage, creating new from old--especially natural materials (bone, shell, etc.) and fabric. Much of her work is figural and mythic in nature.

Publications/ Books/ Papers

She has authored many books including "Textiles: The Whole Story: Uses, Meanings, Significance" (2011); "Bazaars and Fair Ladies: The History of the American Fund raising Fair" (1998), etc.