I have long had an interest in the “stuff” of human life. Early in my career I worked in curatorial roles in history museums, using artifacts to engage communities with their local histories. After receiving my PhD in American Studies at Yale University, working on the role of material culture in building national communities of American consumers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, I moved to Scotland to take up a post in History and American Studies at the University of Glasgow, giving me new perspectives on my research. Since joining the Design Studies department at the School of Human Ecology in 2018, it has been exciting to work with my new colleagues to again see my historical research in new ways, this time from the perspective of makers and theorists in design and material culture, and I am thrilled to have the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection on my doorstep.
Selected Publications
Richmond, V., & Moskowitz, M. (2016-2023). Textile History: The Journal of the Pasold Research Fund. https://www.pasold.co.uk/textile-history
Moskowitz, M., & Sikarskie, A. (2021). “Terrain of Every Hue”: Locating the Luxury Knitwear Trade in Scotland’s Landscapes. Storytelling in Luxury Fashion: Brands, Visual Cultures, and Technologies. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Storytelling-in-Luxury-Fashion-Brands-Visual-Cultures-and-Technologies/Sikarskie/p/book/9780367638054
Moskowitz, M., & Schweitzer, M. (2009). Testimonial Advertising and the American Marketplace: Emulation, Identity, Community (includes single-authored essay “‘After a Season of War’: Sharing Horticultural Success in the Reconstruction-Era Landscape” and jointly-authored Introduction). Palgrave Macmillan. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9780230101715
Moskowitz, M., Brown, E., & Gudis, C. (2006). Cultures of Commerce: Representations and American Business Culture, 1877-1960. (Includes single-authored essay “Broadcasting Seeds on the American Landscape,” and jointly-authored Introduction). Palgrave Macmillan. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-137-07182-8
Moskowitz, M. (2004 & 2008). Standard of Living: The Measure of the Middle Class in Modern America. Johns Hopkins University Press. https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/3167/standard-living
Moskowitz, M., Abrams, L., & Le Riguer, C. (2022). Glasgow University Knits: A Pattern Book with Essays. https://fleecetofashion.gla.ac.uk/glasgow-university-knits-pattern-book/
For a full list of publications, see Moskowitz’s CV.
Featured Media
- Wisconsin Public Radio, How Quilts, Handkerchiefs And Other Household Objects Preserve American Politics
- Isthmus, Two exhibits at UW-Madison highlight and reevaluate American art
- Isthmus, Students in Promega’s summer showcase take inspiration from world textiles
See Also
- Politics at Home: Textiles as American History exhibition, co-curator with Natalie Wright, Ruth Davis Design Gallery, School of Human Ecology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Fall 2022

Department
- Design Studies
Degree Program
- MFA Human Ecology: Design Studies
- PhD Human Ecology: Design Studies
Education
- MA, MPhil, and PhD, American Studies, Yale University
- BA, American Studies, Yale College
Contact
Office: 3214 Nancy Nicholas Hall
Phone: 608-262-2015
Email: mmoskowitz@wisc.edu
Websites:
Social media: