Jewish Dress through Visual Sources: An Introduction

This introduction to the special issue “Jewish Dress Through Visual Sources” prompts engagement with visual sources to expand research into the role of dress in the history of perceived minority groups. Drawing on the example of the Jewish people as one of the longest-lasting oppressed groups in history, the text opens by discussing some of the ways in which dress has played a primary role in shaping the social status of Jewish individuals and communities. It then highlights the interconnection between perceptions of dress with its visual imagery. Foregrounding some of the means that imbue dress with social significance and cultural value, it points to the ability of visual sources to offer insights into conditions underrepresented by other types of historical registers. Special attention is given to photographic image-objects as products of a medium that has radically changed—and democratized to a certain degree—how people re/work their identities, and perceive those of others, through dress. After introducing the contributions to the special issue, the text reflects on how the study of dress through engagement with visual sources pertaining to minority groups can transcend existing research approaches and diversify the scope of dress, fashion, and cultural history alike.