Florence Lewis May (December 9, 1899 – September 6, 1988) was an American

art historian Art history is the study of artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Traditionally, the ...

and

curator A curator (from , meaning 'to take care') is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the particular ins ...

. May was the Curator of Textiles Emeritus at the

Hispanic Society of America The term Hispanic () are people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an ethnic or meta-ethnic term. The term commonly appl ...

for the entire length of her career.

Career

Born in Fairfield to Edward Everrett and Annie May Lockwood, May was deafened at the age of five from

spinal meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, intense headache, vomiting and neck stiffness and occasionally ...

. She graduated from the

American School for the Deaf American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...

in 1916, and then from

Gallaudet College Gallaudet University ( ) is a private federally chartered university in Washington, D.C., for the education of the deaf and hard of hearing. It was founded in 1864 as a grammar school for both deaf and blind children. It was the first school ...

with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

in 1921. There, May was a member of Phi Kappa Zeta. In the year prior to graduating, May was hired by

Archer Milton Huntington Archer Milton Huntington (March 10, 1870 – December 11, 1955) was an American philanthropist and scholar, primarily known for his contributions to the field of Hispanic studies. He founded the Hispanic Society of America in New York City, an ...

to work at the

. In 1945, she was given an

honorary An honorary position is one given as an honor, with no duties attached, and without payment. Other uses include: * Honorary Academy Award, by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, United States * Honorary Aryan, a status in Nazi Germany ...

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

from her alma mater. May would spend the rest of her sixty-year career at the Hispanic Society, eventually rising to the rank of Curator of Textiles. Upon retirement in 1981, she was honored with the title of Emeritus there. A scholar of

textile art Textile arts are arts and crafts that use plant, animal, or synthetic fibers to construct practical or decorative objects. Textiles have been a fundamental part of human life since the beginning of civilization. The methods and materials use ...

, May published articles on the topic in such academic journals as ''

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

'' and ''Pantheon'' during the 1960s and 1970s. She died at Arnot Ogden Medical Center in 1988 at the age of eighty-eight.

Works

*''Catalogue of Laces and Embroideries in the Collection of the Hispanic Society of America'' (1936) *''Hispanic Lace and Lace Making'' (1939) *''Silk Textiles of Spain: Eighth to Fifteenth Century'' (1957) *''Rugs of Spain and Morocco: Examples from the Collection of the Hispanic Society of America'' (1977)

References

External links

Gallaudet University profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:May, Florence Lewis 1899 births 1988 deaths American deaf people Writers from Fairfield, Connecticut American art historians American women art historians Textile historians American women curators American curators

Career

Works

See also

References

External links