Sophie PitmanView profile
Research Professor
Sophie Pitman is the Pleasant Rowland Textile Specialist and Research Director at the Nancy M. Bruce Center for Design and Material Culture, University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her research focuses on early modern textiles, clothing, and material culture, employing interdisciplinary approaches including experimental reconstruction, digital methods, and scientific collaboration. She holds a PhD in History from the University of Cambridge, an MA in Decorative Arts from the Bard Graduate Center, and a BA in History and English from the University of Oxford. Her key research areas include weatherproof clothing, imitation textiles, and the development of experimental reconstruction techniques. She has led projects such as the Refashioning the Renaissance initiative (ERC-funded) and contributed to the Making and Knowing Project (Columbia University). Her work bridges art history, science, and material culture studies, emphasizing hands-on research and collaboration with craftspeople. Awarded the Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship (UCL, London), she has published extensively on topics like early modern dress networks, shopping culture, and textile dyeing techniques. Her teaching spans history, art history, and museum education, integrating object analysis and hands-on learning.
