R.L. Shep - Books on authentic costumes and uniforms from the Civil War, Edwardian, Federalist, Regency, Victorian and other eras. Authentic historic patterns. Books on etiquette, customs, textiles, hats, corsets, sewing and needlework.
R.L. Shep has sold books in the fields of costume, textiles and needle-arts for over 30 years and has been a member of the Costume Society of America, The Costume Society (UK), the Costume Society of Ontario, the Textile Society of America, the United States Institute of Theatre Technology, Seattle Textile and Rug Society. R.L. Shep was educated at University of California at Berkeley, The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and the American Institute of Foreign Trade. He is a world traveller and has an extensive collection of foreign costumes and textiles. His first book in 1980 was "Cleaning & Repairing Books", a landmark in the industry which is still in print, in a revised edition.
Having sold foreign and out of print books on costumes and textiles since 1962, in the mid 1980s Mr. Shep's decided that too many important books in this field were disappearing from circulation and he began to republish, in order to preserve the knowledge and make important works more widely available. Mr. Shep's books are often augmented with contemporary illustrations, glossaries of terms, and articles about the period. The primary source material, however, is never altered and is faithfully reproduced.
Currently, R.L.Shep resides in San Francisco.
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R.L. Shep and The LA County Museum of Art | Book Award and the Textile Society |
Triennial R.L. Shep Symposium of Textiles and Dress
at The Los Angeles County Museum of ArtThe Fourth Triennial R.L. Shep Symposium of Textiles and Dress at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will take place on Saturday October 18th, 2008. The focus will be on Indonesian textiles and costume.
The first Symposium, "Clothing as Transformation" was enthusiastically acclaimed by a large audience in the Bing Auditorium of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in April of 1999.
The second Symposium took place in December of 2002 and centered around a large exhibit of Noh Costumes which were at the L.A. County Museum at that time.
The third Symposium was held on Saturday April 9, 2005. The topic was "17th Century Textiles & Dress". Speakers scheduled were: Aileen Ribiero (Courtauld in London), Kimberly Chrisman (Huntington Library & Museum), Charissa Bremer-David (Getty Museum) and others.
Further information on future symposia can be obtained by emailing Shep Symposium. Or send your address & telephone number to:
- Department of Costumes and Textiles
- L.A.C.M.A., 5905 Wilshire Blvd
- Los Angeles, CA 90036
| HOME | Book List | How to Order | More on RL Shep | |
| Contact Fred Struthers, distributor | Books on Cloth catalog |
Costume Links |
R.L. Shep and The LA County Museum of Art | Book Award and the Textile Society |
Announcing the Annual
R.L. Shep Book Award
The Textile Society of America
announces the
R.L. Shep Book Award
to be given annually for the best book of the year in Ethnic Textile studies.
The award consists of a $750 prize.
For 2006 the award is presented to:
"The Kashmiri Shawl: From Jamavar to Paisley"
by Sherry Rehman and Naheed Jafri
published by Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd.
and simultaneously in the United Kingdom by
Antique Collector's Club.
The award for the best book of the year 2000
was given to "
Otag-I Hamayun: The Ottoman Tent Complex" by Nurhan Atasoy.
Katherine Larson's "Woven Coverlets of Norway" was the winner of the 2001 Award.
The winner for 2002 was "Living Fabric: Weaving Among the Nomads of Ladakh Himalaya" by Monisha Ahmed.
For 2003, two books were felt to be deserving of this recognition: Gillian Green's "Traditional Textiles of Cambodia - Cultural Threads and Material Heritage" and "Wild By Design: Two Hundred Years of Innovation and Artistry in American Quilts" co-authored by Janet Catherine Berlo and Patricia Cox Crews.
For 2004, the R.L. Shep Book Award was awarded to "Weaving Generations Together: Evolving Creativity in the Maya of Chiapas" by Patricia Marks Greenfield.
In 2005, two books were awarded: "Mantles of Merit: Chin Textiles from Myanmar, India and Bangladesh" by David W. and Barbara G. Fraser, and "Arctic Clothing of North America - Alaska, Canada, Greenland" edited by J.C.H. King, Birgit Pauksztat, and Robert Storrie.
The purpose of the award, administered by Textile Society of America, is to encourage the study and understanding of ethnic textile traditions by recognizing and rewarding exceptional scholarship in the field. You may contact the Society to nominate a colleague. The competition is open to all: books must be in the English language, or substantially so. Nominations for 2007 must be submitted by March 1, 2008.
Further information contact: