MoMu - Library

The MoMu Library houses a collection of books, magazines, catalogues and other publications on clothing like no other in the world. It is also home to an extensive collection of related objects (like invitations to fashion shows) mainly linked to Belgian designers, as well as plenty of historical archive documents. You can visit the library free of charge.

In the reading room, besides the library and archive collection, visitors can also consult the study collection by appointment. This collection contains about 2,000 tangible objects, from historical and contemporary garments to accessories, samples and clothing fragments. In recent years, at MoMu we have further developed this collection because we strongly believe in the added value of tactile and object-oriented research. The collection is made up of the donations by Mrs Jacoba de Jonge, MoMu's own finds, and long-term loans from the Textile Conservation Department of the University of Antwerp.

But the MoMu Library comprises much more than just physical sources: we also have a lot of digital content, which we open up for visitors and make as accessible as possible. We are also working on several digitisation projects. We are transcribing the correspondence of the Melijns, a family of textile traders from Antwerp in the 17th and 18th centuries. This project consists of more than 20,000 handwritten copies of letters with references to merchandise, trade routes and historical events.