Dorothy Ko is a cultural historian who works on gender, the body, technology and art in early modern China. She received her BA in 1978, her MA in 1979, and her PhD in 1989, all from Stanford University. Her PhD dissertation was titled, "Toward a Social History of Women in Seventeenth Century China."
After earning her PhD, Ko served as Assistant Professor at the State University of New York at Stony Brook from 1989 to 1990, at Temple University in Japan in 1991, and at the University of California, San Diego from 1991 to 1995. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 1996 and moved on to Rutgers University. Today Ko teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on gender and writing in China; visual and material cultures in China; and the history of the body in East Asia at Barnard College and Columbia University.
Ko is the author of several books including "The Social Life of Inkstones: Artisans and Scholars in Early Qing China" (University of Washington Press, 2017), "Every Step a Lotus: Shoes for Bound Feet" (University of California Press, 2001), and "Teachers of the Inner Chambers: Women and Culture in Seventeenth-Century China" (Stanford University Press, 1994). "Cinderella's Sisters: A Revisionist History of Footbinding" (University of California Press, 2005) was awarded the Joan Kelly Memorial Prize of the American Historical Association for the best book in women's history and/or feminist theory. Along with Lydia Liu and Rebecca Karl, Ko also coedited "The Birth of Chinese Feminism: Essential Texts in Transnational Theory" (Columbia UP, 2013).
Ko has won many awards and fellowships including a Guggenheim Fellowship (2000–2002) and an appointment at the Institute for Advanced Study (2000–2001) for her research on textiles, fashion, and women's work. More recently, she was awarded an American Council of Learned Societies fellowship (2012–2013) for her research project on female artisans in China. She served as guest curator for an exhibition, "Shoes in the Lives of Women in Late Imperial China," at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto.
In 2018, Ko became a member of the Feminist Theory Archive Board at the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women, Brown University. Additional research and teaching materials will be available upon her retirement.
There are some restrictions on access, though most of the collection is open for research use. The photos and correspondence with C.L. in Series 12, Restricted, are closed until January 1, 2049 after which date the materials will be open without restriction. The correspondence regarding a child welfare case in Series 12, Restricted, is restricted until January 1, 2094 after which date the materials will be open without restriction. The collection can only be seen by prior appointment because some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Dorothy Ko, MS.2019.006, Feminist Theory Archive, Brown University Library.
This collection consists of the personal and professional papers of Dorothy Ko, scholar of gender and body in early modern China and professor of history and women's studies at Barnard College. The collection includes personal correspondence and photographs, but primarily documents Ko's academic career through correspondence, conference materials, syllabi, and handwritten notes. The collection spans from 1978 to 2018 and is arranged into 12 series.
Series 1, PERSONAL, 1982 – 2008, contains an address book, planners, a wall calendar, and promotional materials such as post cards and flyers for lectures by Ko. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type.
Series 2, CORRESPONDENCE, 1978 – 2011, contains personal and professional correspondence. Topics within the personal correspondence include thank you notes and holiday cards. Topics within the professional correspondence include invitations to talks as well as Ko's hire at Rutgers University Some correspondence can also be found in series 3, Conferences, series 5, Writings, and series 7, Subject Files. Ko's original folder titles are written in quotations. The processor created all other folder titles. This series is arranged chronologically, then by provenance, and then alphabetically by topic.
Series 3, CONFERENCES, 1994 – 2018, includes programs, schedules, handwritten notes, and some talks authored by Ko. Additional writings that were not associated with specific conferences can be found in series 5, Writings. Conferences include the Association of Asian Studies annual meetings, Female Bodies of Knowledge, Good Sex: Women's Religious Wisdom on Sexuality, and Women in Confucian Cultures as organized by Ko. This series is arranged alphabetically by conference title then by record type.
Series 4, TEACHING, 1991 – 2002, includes syllabi, handwritten notes, and course proposals, as well as syllabi from other professors likely used as research for Ko's own courses. Courses of interest include The Body and Textuality: Shaping a Cultural History of China; Teachers of the Inner Chamber: Women and Culture in Seventeenth Century China; and Women Im/migrants: Memories of Home in Asian America. This series is arranged alphabetically by course title then by record type.
Series 5, WRITINGS, 1995 – 2018, includes annotated drafts, handwritten notes, and research materials for talks and articles. Titles include "Between the Boudoir and the Global Market: Shen Shou, Embroidery, and Modernity at the Turn of the Twentieth Century;" "Locating Women and Gender in China," and "The Subject of Pain." This series is arranged alphabetically by project title then by record type.
Series 6, BATA SHOE MUSEUM EXHIBIT, 1996 – 2006, contains clippings, handwritten notes, a notebook, photographs, slides, and support materials such as handouts regarding Ko's work as guest curator for the "Shoes in the Lives of Women in Late Imperial China" exhibit at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type.
Series 7, SUBJECT FILES, 1989 – 2008, includes handwritten notes, clippings, readings, and photos related to people and topics. Of particular note are folders on The Pacific Century, a PBS documentary series; Rising Sun, a movie starring Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes; and The X Files, a television show. Ko served as a consultant of Asian history and culture for all three programs. This series is arranged alphabetically by people then by subject.
Series 8, PHOTOGRAPHS, 1981 – 1991, contains color photographs and negatives arranged in original order. Additional photos can be found in series 3, Conferences, series 6, Bata Shoe Museum Exhibit, and series 7, Subject Files. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type then by date.
Series 9, PRINT MATERIAL, 1979 – 2010, contains a bound book of conference papers and periodicals. Titles of interest include "Pray for China Bi-Monthly" and "United States Guide to Asia Apparel and Fabric." This series is arranged alphabetically by title.
Series 10, OVERSIZE MATERIALS, 2001 – 2009, contains large photocopied clippings regarding Ko's exhibit at the Bata Shoe Museum as well as posters for talks by Ko. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type then by title.
Series 11, ELECTRONIC RECORDS ON REMOVABLE CARRIERS, 1999 – 2001, contains 3.5 inch disks, an audio cassette, and a CD. Topics include teaching at Rutgers and Ko's writings. Ko's annotations are written in quotations. The processor created all other titles. This series is arranged alphabetically by record type then by original title listed on each carrier.
Series 12, RESTRICTED, 1981 – 1994, contains photographs and correspondence. This series is arranged by record type. The photographs and correspondence to and from C.L. are restricted for 30 years until January 1, 2049 after which date the materials will open without restriction. The correspondence regarding the child welfare case is restricted for 75 years until January 1, 2094, after which date the materials will open without restriction.
This collection is arranged into 12 series.
Gift of Dorothy Ko beginning in 2019.