My research and teaching explore European and American clothing and textile history from the eighteenth through the twentieth century. In addition to an appreciation for the importance of the material object and what it can tell us, my interests encompass the context in which clothing and textiles were made, sold, worn or used, experienced, and perceived. My work draws on social, cultural, art, economic, and political history, as well as literature. In 2012, I curated a Focus Gallery exhibition at Bard Graduate Center and contributed to and edited the accompanying catalogue. The exhibition and publication, Staging Fashion, 1880-1920: Jane Hading, Lily Elsie, Billie Burke, examine the phenomenon of actresses as internationally known fashion leaders at the turn-of-the-twentieth century and highlight the printed ephemera (cabinet cards, postcards, theatre magazines, and trade cards) that were instrumental in the creation of a public persona and that contributed to and reflected the rise of celebrity culture.