Educating the First Generation of Textile Researchers: The Drawing School for Women and the Development of Textile Research as a Field of Knowledge

Abstract

This article explores the role of the Drawing School for Women (Tegneskolen for Kvinder) in the development of textile research as a field of knowledge, as well as its contribution to women’s education and social status in Denmark. Through an examination of the lives and work of early textile researchers associated with the Drawing School for Women, the article first considers the emancipatory potential of knowledge in relation to the professionalization of textile crafts. It then sheds light on the ideals and potentials expressed by the advocates of textile research – as well as how, and to what extent, these were realised. Specifically, it suggests a close relationship between textile research, women’s emancipation, and Danish nationalism. It concludes that the proponents of textile research were successful in making women’s textile craft – and the study of it – a matter of national pride and interest, furthering the opportunities for women in the field.