The Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) houses one of the finest weaving archives in the nation—the Churchill Weavers collection. Churchill Weavers was a handweaving business that operated in Berea, Kentucky, from 1922 to 2007. The company was once considered America’s premier producer of luxury handwoven goods. To learn more about Churchill Weavers and the collection at KHS visit: history.ky.gov/portfolio/churchill-weavers-collection. Today KHS maintains this collection and is making it available to scholars for advanced study and research.
The Churchill Weavers Fellowship provides opportunities to scholars to connect with this important archive. The collection is comprehensive and holds promise to enrich scholarship in many areas. Especially those related to labor history and textile production in Appalachia.
Applications are welcome from independent scholars, as well as from college and university teachers, graduate students, and scholars working in other related disciplines. The fellowship is designed to assist researchers with travel and living expenses while using the Churchill Weavers collection. All applications are peer-reviewed by a panel of leading historians. Awards are based on the significance of the proposed research and on the anticipated time it will require in the collection. The stipends are for a maximum of six weeks and are pro-rated at $400/week. Application deadline is March 1, 2015. The application for this fellowship can be found at: history.ky.gov/research-fellowships.
The fellow must make use of the Churchill Weavers collection during their visit, but will be given the option of exploring related collections at KHS. At the end of the fellowship the recipient will make an informal presentation at KHS based on research conducted during the fellowship. A research report is due a month after the end of the fellowship. The research report is a final narrative report of three to five pages outlining work accomplished. KHS will also receive a copy of any publications aided by the fellowship. Fellowship recipients are strongly encouraged to submit an article-length manuscript for possible publication in The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society. For more information about the scholarly research fellowships, contact Elizabeth J. Van Allen at beth.vanallen@ky.gov or 502-564-1792, ext. 4440.
