What is the Deliberately Concealed Garments Project?

The Deliberately Concealed Garments Project is supported by the the L.J. Skaggs and Mary D. Skaggs Foundation and the Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB). It is being undertaken at the Textile Conservation Centre, University of Southampton. The research project was instigated by Dinah Eastop (Senior Lecturer TCC) in 1999. Acknowledgements

Image of a tricorn hat c. 1780

Black felt tricorn hat, c. 1780 found walled up in a house in Cuckfield, Sussex and donated to Cuckfield Museum in 1988 where it is still on display. The hat was reported to the Deliberately Concealed Garments Project in March 2002 by the Curator of Cuckfield Museum. CG10

The project has four main aims:

1. To encourage deliberately concealed garment finds to be reported and documented.

2. To raise awareness of and develop a better understanding of this folk practice.

3. To advance conservation techniques and practices that can be used to sensitively preserve such finds.

4. To use the garments found and reported to learn more about textile and dress history, and folk traditions.

Read the introduction to the project

What is a deliberately concealed garment?

Advice on what to do if you find a concealed garment.

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Last updated: 13 August, 2002