I don't actually dislike the V&A, despite my comments below! There are things about it that I do really like - here's an example. This is a typical of the 19th century 'design' that I created on one of their little hands-on machines. I have to admit that I'm quite taken with the pattern! But again, it kinda makes my point about the lack of adequate historicization offered by many of the exhibits. In the South Asia rooms, for instance, there are a number of dresses made up in various parts of Europe that use cotton or silk materials with designs like this one that came from India and which were one widely imported ito Europe. But you'd have to know about why and how this appears in the South Asia rooms yourself - there's no explanation offered alongside the exhibit. While I was there, there was a school group in there, mostly made up of girls who looked like they were 9 or 10. And I swear I overheard one brown - ie, presumably British-Asian - kid say to another, 'Lookit the dresses people in India used to wear.' I don't know that she realized that the only people in India who wore dresses like the ones displayed in the cases were the British....
So, what would an 19th century lady have made of my little design for Indian cotton?
