The Library of the Study Centre of the History of Textiles, Costumes and Perfume was set up in 1985 and is housed in Palazzo Mocenigo at San Stae.
This rich collection of monographs, periodicals and fashion plates all comes from the former collection of the International Centre for Arts and Costume at Palazzo Grassi, which was acquired by the Venice City Council in 1981. The sizeable collection of books dedicated to the history of textiles and costume make this a very useful instrument for study and research.
The core collection from Palazzo Grassi comprises some 6,000 volumes, including antique publications, whilst the periodicals section covers fashion magazines from the end of the 18th century, when such publications first became popular, to the present day. There is also a particularly significant collection of around some 13,000 fashion plates, which form a unique visual record of changing fashions.
Re-opened to the public in 1986 after re-organisation, the library is now kept up to date by the acquisition of the most significant and authoritative publications in this sector, both books and periodicals.