Patroon van babyhemd met één mouw c. 1888 - 1894

Editor: This is "Pattern for a Baby Shirt with One Sleeve," dating from between 1888 and 1894 by G. Glas. It appears to be a drawing and print on paper. There's something very fragile and intimate about seeing a pattern for such a basic garment. What story do you think this little object tells? Curator: Well, it makes me think about the industrial revolution and the rise of textile production. Before mass production, even the simplest clothes were handmade. This pattern reflects a shift: a move towards a system where garments could be replicated. The pattern itself becomes a tool for disseminating design. Editor: So, it’s not just about one baby's shirt, but something much bigger? Curator: Precisely. This pattern represents an emerging social and economic landscape. Think about the public role of institutions exhibiting such pieces. Are we celebrating ingenuity, lamenting a loss of craft, or both? Also, notice it only has one sleeve. Do you wonder if this shirt would have been functional or just an artistic exploration? Editor: It really highlights the move from individual creation to something more standardized and scalable. Now I see it less as just a baby garment and more as a document of socio-economic transformation. Curator: Exactly. And the fragile nature of the paper makes us consider how we preserve and value these kinds of seemingly mundane historical documents. How will our digital age relics be received? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. It's amazing how much this one small pattern reveals about the past and makes you think about the future.