David Williams
Museum Work
As of Fall 2026, I work as a student assistant at Kansas State University's Historic Costume and Textiles Museum.
That work includes:
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Ensuring accuracy of the physical collection to the digital records
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Photography of pieces of the collection
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Care and maintenance of the collections
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Researching the history of the collection
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Helping with the move and prep of the collection in a safe manner
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Learning and putting to use textile conservation techniques
Collection Care
Whenever a piece is finished with a photoshoot or done spending time on display, the piece must be carefully prepped for storage again. In the case of this wedding gown, laying a screen over the top and gently vacuuming the dust off of the fabric before placing it back in long-term storage is what was called for.
Storage Prep
Preparing to store items often takes a hands-on approach when it comes to ensuring the collection remains in good condition. Adding things such as a cotton gauze to hangers to help preserve the fabric is one such thing.
Photoshoots
Photoshoots are a blast. Working with photographers to showcase pieces of history such as the Nelly Don Collection at K-State I got to help in. From left to right is Hanna Palsa, Myself, Marla Day, Jose Alvidrez, and Anya Hartman with three pieces by Nelly Don, an early to mid-20th century Kansas raised fashion designer.
Photoshop
Volunteering with the Historic Costume and Textile Museum at KSU comes with the perk of seeing and handling our fashion history. Here is just one of the items I have helped photograph, photoshop, and update the information into something more accurate on the online database. You can see this particular piece at:
Living History Days
During my internship at the Riley County Historic Museum in the summer of 2026, I participated in a Living History Days event. I conducted tours of the Goodnow House.
Learning Conservation
During my 2026 summer internship with the Historic Costume and Textile Museum at K-State. I learned several textile conservation techniques, which led me to my ultimate goal of becoming a textile conservator. This is one of the objects that I worked on during the summer.
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Front Page Article!
During my Summer 2026 Internship at the Riley County Historical Museum, I was asked to write an article on a specific subject for the September/October 2026 Newsletter. I researched a specific photo and wrote an article connecting it to September 27th, National Save Your Photo Day.
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You can find the article and other copies of the newsletter here.
