Archives Visibility Online?
Anne Davenport
Nora & Bruce Mai
Apparently, you just have to use the right phrase 😊
Convention costuming archives document the history of amateur and professional costume making within fan communities, particularly those associated with science fiction, fantasy, and media conventions.
Primary Archives and Resources
- Costume-Con Archives: These archives track the history of Costume-Con, a major annual traveling convention dedicated specifically to costuming and fashion. Managed by the International Costumers' Guild (ICG), they maintain records of masquerades, competitions, and programming from past events.
- International Costumers' Guild (ICG) Archives: The ICG maintains several resources for documenting the history of fan costuming, including the Marty Gear Fund for research and the Pat and James Kennedy Memorial Library.
- Whole Costumer’s Catalogue
: Originally edited by Karen Schnaubelt and Kelly Turner, this historical resource served as a guide for materials and techniques during the early development of organized convention costuming.
- Visual Documentation: Digital archives such as Calisphere and the Internet Archive house historical photographs of specialty costumes, including early 20th-century Venetian and vaudeville outfits often referenced by modern cosplayers.
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Nora & Bruce Mai
I noticed that it says that the ICG manages the CC site. There – I fixed it. 😊 This is something like what comes up when you Google AI “Convention Costuming History”
In 2026, the documentation of fan-based costume history is spearheaded by two primary, distinct archival entities that preserve decades of science fiction, fantasy, and media costuming.
International Costumers' Guild (ICG) Archives
The ICG Archives, also known as the Pat and Peggy Kennedy Memorial Archives, represents the largest collection of convention costuming imagery in the world.
- Collection Scope: The archives house images and footage of masquerades, cosplay, fashion, and wearable art, alongside documentation of parades, festivals, and "hall costumes."
- 2026 Holdings: The collection exceeds 250,000 images and contains an estimated 800 to 1,000 masquerade videos.
- Online Presence: Approximately 17,000 images are currently searchable at the International Costumers Gallery. A selection of historical and contemporary masquerade footage is available via the ICG Archives YouTube channel.
- Historical Breadth: The archive covers over 70 years of history, spanning from early science fiction conventions to modern multi-genre events.
Costume-Con Archives
The Costume-Con Archives is an independent entity focused exclusively on the history and data of the annual Costume-Con convention series.
- Records: It maintains a comprehensive record of every Costume-Con competition, including official rules, participant lists, award results, and visual galleries of masquerades and fashion shows.
- 2026 Developments: In April 2026, the archive documented the Costume-Con 2026 Virtual Competitions, incorporating entries from the Future Fashion Show and the Single Pattern Competition.
Archival Challenges and Preservation
As of 2026, these volunteer-driven archives face several preservation hurdles:
- Digital Migration: High hosting costs and software obsolescence necessitated a major migration in late 2025. Archivists are currently refining image tags to improve search accuracy and identify participants.
- Physical Decay: Analog media, such as VHS and Betamax tapes of 1980s masquerades, are at risk of magnetic degradation and "bit rot," requiring urgent digitization.
- Legal Constraints: Legal uncertainties regarding the online distribution of performances featuring copyrighted music or characters continue to limit the volume of video content that can be publicly hosted.
Bruce
From: mee...@board.costume.org <mee...@board.costume.org> On Behalf Of Nora & Bruce Mai
Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2026 8:36 AM
To: mee...@board.costume.org
Subject: RE: [icg-bod] Archives Visibility Online?
Apparently, you just have to use the right phrase 😊
Convention costuming archives document the history of amateur and professional costume making within fan communities, particularly those associated with science fiction, fantasy, and media conventions.
Primary Archives and Resources
- Costume-Con Archives: These archives track the history of Costume-Con, a major annual traveling convention dedicated specifically to costuming and fashion. Managed by the International Costumers' Guild (ICG), they maintain records of masquerades, competitions, and programming from past events.
- International Costumers' Guild (ICG) Archives: The ICG maintains several resources for documenting the history of fan costuming, including the Marty Gear Fund for research and the Pat and James Kennedy Memorial Library.
- Whole Costumer’s Catalogue
: Originally edited by Karen Schnaubelt and Kelly Turner, this historical resource served as a guide for materials and techniques during the early development of organized convention costuming.
- Visual Documentation: Digital archives such as Calisphere and the Internet Archive house historical photographs of specialty costumes, including early 20th-century Venetian and vaudeville outfits often referenced by modern cosplayers.
Anne D.
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ICG Board of Directors Online Meeting
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Byron Connell
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Anne Davenport
- The First Costumes (1939): At the first World Science Fiction Convention in New York, Ackerman and Douglas wore homemade futuristic outfits, marking the start of fan costuming at conventions.
- Early Masquerades: Following the 1939 debut, costume contests became a staple, growing from simple parties to staged, themed events.
- The 1950s/60s: Costume balls with live bands were popular, eventually transitioning into "masquerades" featuring lighting, music, and theatrical presentation.
- "Futuristicostumes": The original 1939 costumes were inspired by pulp magazine art and films.
- Costume-Con (1981): This event, originating from a 1981 Worldcon in Denver, solidified the "Master-Journeyman-Novice-Young Fan" system, elevating the competition format.
- Rise of Cosplay: While American fan costuming focused on sci-fi/fantasy, Japanese fans began developing their own costuming culture in the 1970s, which later merged with global trends, leading to modern, mainstream cosplay.
- Fanzines are critical sources for documenting early masquerades and participant reports.
- Collections at the University of Iowa, such as the Rusty Hevlein collection, provide extensive records on the first decades of convention costuming.
- The International Costumers' Guild (ICG) helps archive and research this history.
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Nora & Bruce Mai
Wups. That’s another error. CC was not established until 1983.
(slapping Archivist hat on real quick)
Bruce
From: mee...@board.costume.org <mee...@board.costume.org> On Behalf Of Anne Davenport
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2026 11:38 PM
To: ICG Board Online Meeting <mee...@board.costume.org>
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