Claudia Brush Kidwell

Claudia Brush Kidwell was an American costume historian and curator best known for her work at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. She began there as a student intern in 1961, later became curator of costume, and was also trusted with leadership roles that included serving as acting director of the museum in 1979.

Her writing and exhibitions focused on the history of dress and what clothing can say about identity, work, status, and gender. She is especially associated with books such as Suiting Everyone and Men and Women: Dressing the Part, works that helped bring costume history to a wider audience beyond specialist readers.

Kidwell spent decades building and interpreting the Smithsonian's costume collections, and she was remembered as both a scholar and a generous public speaker. Available sources also indicate that she died in 2024.