Intersession Research

      As classes are wrapping up and finals are approaching, I have not had as much time to dedicate to my research as I would have liked. However I will have a lot more free time in the upcoming weeks of intersession. I have some goals in mind that I would like to achieve during the break. I am planning to read all the books I have on subjects related to my senior thesis topic, such as fashion and feminism, over intercession. Before I can even evaluate magazines and begin writing, I need to create a systematic approach to the analysis and evaluation of Vogue advertisements, articles, and photographs. This will help me evaluate each magazine issue objectively and methodologically. I am planning to narrow my focus of samples; by reviewing 4 issues of Vogue per year from 1955-1975, I am currently proposing that I will be able to analyze 80 issues overall. While I know this is not realistic, I need to read my research books and review some magazines on The Vogue Archive to assess which 10 year time span or so between 1955-1975 is the most pertinent to what I want to examine. Afterwards, I will begin annotating pertinent findings and quotes from my literature. Each week of intersession, I am planning to look at Vogue issues from a small section of my proposed years for samples.

Here are some of the books I have bought for my senior thesis research.

      During the early part of intersession, I will be moving from one state to another and settling into a new home. While I will not having internet for the first week or so at my new home, I will be able to get some thesis work done by reading through my literature. I am planning to read at least 4 hours a day until I complete all of my books. Fortunately moving is the only bump in the road regarding my free time during intersession. I will have the opportunity to solely focus on my senior thesis for the majority of intersession. Tentatively, my plan of work for this time includes narrowing down my sample years, creating a methodology, and reviewing photographs, articles, and advertisements on The Vogue Archive. I will also be doing a lot of reading and writing for my thesis as well.

Vogue Magazine from 1955-1975 and How My Senior Thesis Has Evolved

     At the beginning of the semester, my proposed thesis had a much broader scope. I was seeking to examine how fashions were depicted in various mediums as well as how they were tied to historical happenings. In retrospect, I have realized that my earlier proposal would be nearly impossible to complete in a thorough manner. My current thesis proposal is to examine how Vogue magazine depicts women’s fashions in regards to the historical, social, political, and cultural trends from 1955 to 1975. This time period is content rich in regards to evolving fashion and historical happenings, such as the Civil Rights Movement and second-wave feminism. I have chosen this time frame to have a more narrow focus. Since I will be looking at magazines from all of these years, the time period of 20 years rather than my previously proposed 80 years provides a more realistic number of magazines for me to look at though my case study at the RIT Archive Collections.

     I know my project will continue to evolve in the upcoming months. I still need to determine whether I will look at each issue from 1955-1975 or if I will choose specific months to examine throughout this time period.  I believe that my project will become more refined and focused when I make more headway in my research. I currently have 20 books sitting on my desk that pertain to gender roles, fashion styles, feminism, and self-presentation. Unfortunately, I have only gotten the chance to read 2 so far. As mentioned in this post, I am still entertaining the idea of potentially including a virtual exhibition on Wordpress that draws upon themes of my thesis.

Here are some of the books I have on loan from the library and Professor Carroll.

     Also, I would like to announce that I have found my secondary advisor. Jody Sidlauskas, the Associate Archivist at RIT Archive Collections, will be my secondary advisor for my senior thesis. I am incredibly honored for this opportunity. 

Sports Museums

    At this point I have just about figured out my research question. I would like to take a look at how marginalized groups are represented in sports museums, using the National Baseball Hall of  Fame in Cooperstown as a case study. From my research I have learned that the study of sports, and sports museums, is a fairly new field that is receiving more attention from scholars. Sports can provide insight into different cultures, and their values throughout history. For example, one can learn a lot about the history of African Americans in the United States by taking a look at how they were represented in baseball. Baseball in particular has the most literature available because it is considered to be America's pastime.
     I still need to do more research on the history of marginalized groups in sports, particularly baseball because I am using the Hall of Fame as a case study. From this additional research I will be able to conclude which groups are considered to be marginalized, and then decide which groups I would like to focus my paper on. I would also like to have a good idea of how much space sports museums typically devote to these marginalized groups.

Jenna Bossert, Potential Sources for Thesis Research

I have long had a love for fashion and history; therefore, I would love to combine these interests for my senior thesis. I stumbled upon old issues of fashion magazines at the RIT Archives and instantly was struck with a moment of clarity. For my senior thesis, I want to research how women’s clothing styles of the 20^th century are tied to concurrent historical events of the time.

            As mentioned in my first blog post, my research on this topic will be extensive and span a variety of different mediums. In the past week, I have come across some helpful resources that I was not aware of previously. I will list them here. Firstly, I was looking through The Wallace Center’s Library Catalog and typed “Vogue” to see what type of results I would get. I found that through ProQuest, I have access to The Vogue Archive, which includes scans of photographs, illustrations, and articles featured in issues from 1892 to the present day. I feel that this resource will benefit my research since popular culture and fashion history are covered throughout the issues.

Screenshot of the Vogue Archive database available through ProQuest

             Secondly, I came across the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Fashion collection. Many time periods, trends, and designers are featured throughout this expansive collection. Most notably for my research, V & A has several webpages dedicated to research about 20^th Century fashion as well as an abundance of information about particular time periods of the 20th century. These webpages features exhibition information and articles about trends as well as textiles and design styles. I feel that V & A’s Fashion collection and content on its website will prove to be useful for me as I research the historical ties interwoven with clothing. I will also be looking into books, such as Dressing for the Culture Wars and other mediums.