The Costume and Textiles Department Records consist of correspondence, datebooks, ephemera, exhibition records, and research notes by various curators through the years. There are also records pertaining to the annual Crystal Ball galas that were held from 1959 to 1976, including the bicentennial affair.

The earliest Decorative Arts Department Records consist of the correspondence of Museum Committee member Alfred Coxe Prime. The other series document the work of curatorial staff; namely, Joseph Downs, Henry P. McIlhenny, Joan Prentice, and Calvin Hathaway, who each headed the department, respectively, from 1925 to 1973. Material consists of correspondence, subject files, research and exhibition records.