Top of page

Category: Curators

Half portrait of a smiling Kathy Woodrell, seated at a table in the Library, with shelved books in the background. Her arms are folded on the table in front of her.

My Job: Kathy Woodrell

Posted by: Neely Tucker

For 34 years, Kathy Woodrell helped bring the Library's decorative arts collections to light. She recently retired. Here, she reflects on her years at the Library, particularly how her early exposure to architecture, antiques and textiles influenced her career.

Liz Claiborne poses at a desk in front of an array of colorful sweaters.

Life and Fashion in the American 20th Century

Posted by: Neely Tucker

Fashion has always been an avenue for reference and reinvention, expressing societal viewpoints and political movements through fabric and adornment. As the Library’s collections demonstrate, this was especially true for 20th-century fashion in the U.S. The story of American style is depicted in the Library’s century-old newspapers and magazines; in department store catalogs and home-sewing pattern books; in vintage lithographs and high-gloss photography.