Connecting Threads

Connecting Threads is a collaborative digital history project dedicated to amplifying the contributions of Indian weavers and African Caribbean consumers to global histories of dress.

Drawing on the work of an interdisciplinary team of researchers, the project has re-examined the history of the Madras handkerchief, an internationally popular dress accessory made of brightly coloured checked cotton.

The Connecting Threads website has three main components: a digital exhibition, a database, and lesson plans. The exhibition uses Connecting Threads research to explore the influence of Madras handkerchiefs on 18th and 19th century dress. The story begins with the origins of Madras in South India before exploring Madras fashions in the Greater Caribbean, and the impact of those fashions in Europe and beyond. The database includes object and archival records we have examined from 2022-2024. The lesson plans provide guidance to educators who want to make use of this project and associated research materials in their classrooms.

• https://connectingthreads.co.uk/