PATRICIA PEI GIFT

In December 2025, Patricia Pei, Founder and President of The American Friends of Shanghai Museum and board member of Museum of Chinese in America and M+ in Hong Kong, donated a group of qipaos (cheongsams) and other garments belonging to her late mother Aileen Chiang Pei (1912–2016), stepmother of the architect I. M. Pei (1917–2019). 

Most of the qipaos were custom made in Hong Kong in the 1950s and 1960s, and a few are earlier examples from the 1930s and 1940s. This is a major contribution to our Study Collection, as we previously had very few examples of 20th-century dress.

Left: Elena Kanagy-Loux (PhD candidate) and Betsey Donham (MA ‘27) assisting in photographing a 1950s cheongsam of crushed velvet with embroidered sequins. Gift of Patricia Pei.

Right: Shelby Westbrook (MA ‘27) and MA student Sarah Egan (MA ‘26) assisting in photographing a 1960s printed fabric rose pattern cheongsam. Gift of Patricia Pei.

BARBARA NESSIM GIFT

In March, artist, graphic designer, illustrator and longtime friend and supporter of BGC Barbara Nessim (b. 1939) gifted us a large collection of her original works ranging from 1964 to 2021. The donation includes watercolors from several of her celebrated series such as Women Upstairs (1960s), Figure of Speech (1960s), and WomenGirls (1970s), Lady Van Tastic blouses designed for Lady Van Heusen (1960s), and computer graphics Cibachrome prints (1980s). It also includes a costume commissioned for the New York premiere of the 1974 Rolling Stones concert film Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones and examples of whimsical ceramic shoes from her Sole/Souls series (2019–2021). Several works were on view in the BGC exhibition Barbara Nessim: An Artful Life (September 19, 2024–January 11, 2015). This gift complements a recent donation of Nessim’s sketchbook reproductions to the BGC Archives.

Left: Barbara Nessim. Morse Code in Pink Flashing from Soles/Souls series, 2019. Ceramic (white earthenware, glazed). Gift of Barbara Nessim. © Barbara Nessim.

Right: Barbara Nessim. Girl About to Eat from Floating Hand, 1972. Pen & Ink and Watercolor on Paper. Gift of Barbara Nessim. © Barbara Nessim.

Other selected new acquisitions:

• ca. 1973–1974 suede cape, Mexican huipil, Philip Treacy “volcano” hat, and Chinese skirt, from the Helen Williams Drutt Family Collection
• Late-18th-century Viennese porcelain perfume burner; Early-19th-century Italian tobacco box with marquetry, Sorento; silver plate Christopher Dresser traveling set; late-18th-century silver cruet stand, Paris; donated by Wolfram Koeppe and Joern Lohmann in memory of Walter Stait
• Collection of backstrap looms from Bali, donated by Susan Weber
• Four items donated by Stefan Heidemann: Haeberlein Metzger AG/Nürnberg gingerbread tin, 1930s–1950s, German; Harry Vincent Bluebird toffee tin, ca. 1950s, British; Biscuit tin box in neo-classicist blue, ca. 1910s–1920s, German; Ritter (Ritterwerk) “Schneidboy” herb and vegetable slicer, ca. 1952–1955, German

“Schneidboy” herb and vegetable slicer, ca. 1952–1955. Ritterwerk, Manufacturer. Germany. Gift of Stefan Heidemann.

Viewing Objects

The Study Collection is open for object viewing and can be accessed most weekdays. Please contact barb.elam@bgc.bard.edu or group.library@bgc.bard.edu for an appointment.