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Special Collections and College Archives (SPARC) is a specialized area of the FIT Library that holds archival collections, as well as rare books, magazines, videos, and more, and is located on the 4th floor of the FIT Library, across from the Periodicals area.
Rare, Fragile, and Pricey
The items in our collection are held separately from others in the wider FIT library for a variety of reasons. Either they're very rare, such as the book manuscripts of Elizabeth Hawes, which exist nowhere else in the world, or they're quite fragile due to age, such as our copy of the first issue of Harper's Bazaar.
SPARC also cares for pricey publications. For example, we hold one of very few copies in the world of the 19th century reprint of Galerie des Modes et Costumes Français. We also hold limited edition art books and serials, such as issues of Visionaire.
These items are held in special temperature- and humidity-controlled environments that arrest their deterioration, and keep them from being handled too much. These preservation steps we take in SPARC will help to keep our collection in good condition for researchers for many decades to come.
Paper, not Clothes
We often get mixed up with the Museum at FIT. While we work with the museum sometimes, SPARC is actually part of the FIT Library, and we do not hold garments (except for these few examples of shoes and gloves).
Get some insight to our collections by checking out our blog, Material Mode, authored by fashion historian, April Calahan.
While researchers cannot browse or borrow SPARC objects and collections, they are available to view by appointment (see next tab).
SPARC welcomes all researchers, FIT graduate and undergraduate students, class visits, and group tours to our reading room. We are committed to providing access to our collections, and we are here to assist you.
Access to Special Collections is by appointment only. To schedule an appointment fill out our appointment request form and someone will reach out shortly. We can also be reached at fitlibsparc@fitnyc.edu or (212) 217-4385. Please fill out our form at least 24 hours before you would like to conduct your research. Before we can confirm your appointment, we need to know what you would like to view during your appointment. Please consult the Researcher Guidelines tab in this guide for information on how to access our catalog and inventory, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.
For our current research schedule, and directions to the collection, please see our Visit page on our main website, and the library homepage for all exceptions & changes to regular hours.
We maintain a closed stacks reading room for access to Special Collections and FIT College Archives materials. All materials are paged prior to your visit: this means books and other materials are retrieved for researchers to view in the reading room and that all material is non-circulating (i.e. researchers cannot browse the stacks on their own as they would in a library).
When scheduling an appointment you will be asked for specific titles and call numbers. To find this information, use the library's OneSearch Catalog (narrow your search to Special Collections). You can also directly search our Periodicals Index, which is searchable by title, date, and subject. If you request any periodicals, please provide the general timespan you would like to view. We can pull approximately up to 3 linear feet of material for your appointment.
For assistance, please contact SPARC via email at fitlibsparc@fitnyc.edu.
The wide range of primary research sources housed in Special Collections are often rare, fragile and valuable. To protect these collections the following prohibitions are enforced during researcher visits:
This silly sketch with the infamous Mr. Bean in the video below shows some clear examples of what NOT to do when viewing paper-based archival materials, including wearing gloves.
When handling old paper, gloves may keep the oils and acids from your fingers away from the material, but they also keep you from feeling what you're doing. This means you won't know how gently you need to handle paper to keep it from breaking or tearing, and dry pages tend to catch on gloves really easily.
There are some cases when gloves are appropriate including when handling photographs or film (fingerprints can badly damage prints and film), and especially when the materials might be hazardous to someone's health. We work to house materials in such a way that makes the use of gloves with these materials unnecessary.
Click here to read about what the US Library of Congress has to say on the matter.
So! Your professor has required you to include a primary source in your research for your project. What's the best way to do that?
SPARC mostly holds primary source materials, which means they are first-hand records of information. An object in a museum is one example of a primary source. SPARC does not hold many objects like a museum does, but it does hold documents, sketches, photographs, and other items that serve as primary sources: they speak for themselves.
History books, in contrast, are examples of secondary sources written by historians who interpret past events. History books written in decades past can be both primary and secondary sources as they provide interpretations of past events, but reflect the times in which they were written.
Another example: Fashion is Spinach written by Elizabeth Hawes about her own life is a primary source, while Radical by design: the life and style of Elizabeth Hawes by Bettina Berch is about Hawes, and so it is a secondary source.
Primary sources are complex! Learn more about primary sources here:
One of the best ways to figure out what primary sources might best serve your project is to first look at secondary sources that have explored what you are researching. Look out for references to primary sources in their writing and bibliographies. If you read up on 1960s fashion design for Coach, you may come across the designs of Bonnie Cashin and find her work to be perfect for your project. SPARC holds a very significant collection of Cashin's sketches and textile swatches.
