Amy Miller

Profile

Curator of Decorative Arts and Material Culture

Amy Miller I look after the Museum’s collections of uniforms and clothing, textiles, furniture, plate, and glass. This includes researching them, writing articles, giving talks, recommending objects suitable for both exhibition and our website. I also give advice on objects for acquisition and answer enquiries from the public.

My favourite part of the collection

My favourite part of the collection is the travel furniture. I’ve just begun researching it, and looking at some of the more idiosyncratic and ingenious examples that we have. With Britain’s overseas expansion in the 18th century, unprecedented numbers of people began making the long sea journey to both the East and West Indies. Companies offering ‘outfits to India’ would supply the traveller with specially made furniture. This was designed both to fit small spaces on sailing ships, and later on steamers, but was multi-purpose and adaptable so that it could be of use once foreign residence was established. The collection holds a number of these pieces, showing the way that furniture makers of the 18th and 19th centuries combined clever designs and new technologies to allow the traveller to pass from ship to shore with comparative ease.

The question I'm asked most often

When did the Royal Navy start wearing uniforms?

My answer is that regulated naval uniform have been worn only since 1748, and then it was only for commissioned officers (the rank of lieutenant and above) and midshipmen. Before that date, the naval officer wore his own clothing, although there were occasions when royal livery was worn by specific officers.

My recommended books

Academic profile

Curator of Decorative Arts, Design and Culture

Biography

BA Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
MA Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts and Material Culture, New York

National Museum of Ireland
Victoria and Albert Museum
Hampton Court Palace
Curator at the NMM since 2002

Collections responsible for

Uniforms and clothing
Textiles
Furniture
Plate
Glass
Shared responsibility for Figureheads and Decorative Carving

Areas of research and interest

Material Culture, costume and masculinity

Current NMM projects

I’ve just begun researching the travel furniture in the NMM’s collection, looking at some of the more idiosyncratic and ingenious examples that we have. With Britain’s overseas expansion in the 18th century, unprecedented numbers of people began making the long sea journey to both the East and West Indies. Companies offering ‘outfits to India’ would supply the traveller with specially made furniture. This was designed both to fit small spaces on sailing ships, and later on steamers, but was multi-purpose and adaptable so that it could be of use once foreign residence was established. The collection holds a number of these pieces, showing the way that furniture makers of the 18th and 19th centuries combined clever designs and new technologies to allow the traveller to pass from ship to shore with comparative ease.

Previous NMM projects

Sailor Chic exhibition 2007

External fellowships/honorary positions/membership of professional bodies

Member of the Furniture History Society
Member of Courtauld History of Dress Association
Member of Costume Society (UK)

Select Publications

Contributor to exhibition catalogue, Elizabeth, (S. Doran, ed, London: Chatto & Windus with National Maritime Museum, 2003)
'Egyptomania: The Impact of Nelson, Napoleon and the Nile on Material Culture in France and Britain', Nelson & Napoléon exhibition catalogue (M. Lincoln, ed, London: National Maritime Museum, 2005)
Dressed to Kill: British Naval Uniform, Masculinity and Contemporary Fashions, 1748-1857, (London: National Maritime Museum, 2007.)
“The Navy at Home: nautical styles in fashion and interiors in Britain, 1793-1815”, Studies in the Decorative Arts, Autumn/Winter 2009