New Pattern CDs Released

Joy Emery
Costume Design & Technology Commission

The two-CD set, CoPA© Vintage Patterns: An Archive of Everyday Wear 1868 to 1957, from the Commercial Pattern Archive, has just been released.

Volume I, 1868-1943, contains 7,804 patterns; Volume II, 1944-1957, contains 6,127 patterns. Features of the CoPA searchable database include images with the patterns, print-outs of a selected pattern with the image and pattern layout, options to book mark selected items for review and printing, and lists of patterns by company and number for dating.

The accompanying user manual contains a complete list of garment types and keywords. The Commercial Pattern Archive database, CoPA© provides a unique tool for researchers and designers to recreate or date clothing from 1868 to 1957. Each CD is $100 and the two CD set is $150 including shipping and handling. Purchase orders are accepted. All funds go to the Betty Williams Pattern Fund to support further development of the project.

The Commercial Pattern Archive is a project of USITT's Costume Design & Technology Commission and has received support from an Edward F. Kook Fund grant and the USITT Commissioners Fund. It is an official project of Save America's Treasures.

CoPA requires Windows 95 or higher. The application runs off the CDs so little hard drive space is required.

For more information and an order form, see the website at www.uri.edu/library/special_collections/COPA/ or contact Joy Emery, University of Rhode Island, Special Collections, 15 Lippett Road, Kingston, RI 02881 or e-mail jemery@uri.edu.

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This Advance ladies pattern from 1936, from the Betty Williams Collection, is just one type of pattern available through the Commercial Pattern Archive. A new two-CD set which allows searches and print-outs has been released.

Photo/courtesy CoPA