The Beeman Historic Costume Collection includes over 3000 artifacts related to fashion dated from 1800 to the present. The museum's mission is to collect, exhibit, and interpret apparel, textile, and accessory items that support the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences education, research, and community engagement activities. It is maintained through gifts-in-kind and monetary gifts designated to the Beeman Historic Costume Collection and Ball State University Foundation.

Staff:  Curator:  Dr. Diana Saiki  
Graduate Assistant:  Julie Gottfried
FCS Department Chair:  Dr. Alice Spangler

For more information call:
Julie Gottfried, 765-285-2285
Diana Saiki, 765-285-2293

BEEMAN COLLECTION FACTS

Miss Mary Beeman

Sometime in the 1930's Miss Mary Beeman, Head of the Department of Home Economics, was invited to dinner at the home of the Frank C. Ball family.  After dinner she was presented with a steamer trunk filled with clothing.  Those items were the beginning of the collection.  As word of the collection spread, other members of the community and state made contributions.  In recent years contributions have come from across the country and all over the world.

Today the Beeman's success is contributed in many ways by the educational resource it gives to the students and faculty of Ball State University.  The museum is excited to host an exhibition of costumes drawn from our collections every 3 months, and challenged to celebrate fashion's ever changing expression.

Collection highlights:

The Beeman Historic Costume Collection includes a variety of dress artifacts for women, men and children.  Artifacts collected are outerwear, undergarments, hats, shoes, furs, and other costume accessories.  The collection is represented of an extensive overview of fashion during the 20th century.

The collection has several noted designers, such as Geoffrey Beene, Ralph Lauren, Todd Oldham, Norman Norell, and Calvin Klein.  Other designer pieces in the collection are ready-to-wear and couture ensembles by designers such as Chanel, Fortuny, Oscar de la Renta, and Pucci.  Recent acquisitions include Bill Blass garments donated by Fashion Group International of Indianapolis.

There are also a variety of reference material including fashion plates and sewing patterns dated from 1890 to the present.