Made in France: French Governments and Textiles from Louis XIV to the Fifth Republic

A lecture by Esclarmonde Monteil (Ministère de la Culture)

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

38 West 86th Street, Lecture Hall

gallery@bgc.bard.edu

$15 General | $12 Seniors | Free for people associated with a college or university, people with museum ID, people with disabilities and caregivers, and BGC members

For over three centuries, the textile industry held immense economic and social importance in France. Before its collapse in the late twentieth century, governments endeavored to control, understand, and encourage the production of French textiles. Based on the exhibition Made in France and the rich collection of samples preserved at the National Archives, this lecture will explore the great diversity of a now-vanished production, from the most popular to the most luxurious fabrics. They represent an indispensable source for understanding the history of France, from the mid-seventeenth century to the present day, and the lives of those who contributed to this industry—from the production of raw materials to final consumption.

A Dress and Textile History lecture.

Esclarmonde Monteil is a French curator, specializing in textile and fashion history. She has directed the Toile de Jouy Museum and the Musée des Tissus in Lyon. She has curated many textile and fashion exhibitions, the latest being Made in France, une histoire du textile at the National Archives last year. An alumna from the École du Louvre and the University of Saint Andrews, she is a knight in the Ordre des arts et lettres.

Image: Samples of “siamoises” from the 18th century, AN F12/1412/2.