The Chester County Historical Society is taking advantage of one of its largest collections to tell the story of fashion in the 19th century in Chester County.
“Profiles: Chester County Clothing of the 1800s” will open at the historical society on Nov. 23 and run through Aug. 30, 2014.
Everything exhibited comes from the historical society’s collection, according to Ellen Endslow, director of collections. “It was quite a challenge (to select what would be displayed).
“It’s one of the largest collections of a type of object in the museum,” she said. “We literally have thousands of pieces of clothing and clothing accessories.” Clothing and accessories have been collected since the museum was founded in the 1890s. And the collection is still growing. She said that people donate it hoping others can learn about the wide range of people who lived in Chester County during that time.
The exhibit will include 35 to 40 women’s mannequins and a half-dozen men’s.
Endslow said that she and Heather Hansen, the collections manager, chose the whole 19th century for the exhibit to show the variety of what is available in the collection and to highlight the changes in fashion that reflect the change in the lives of the people that lived during that time.
The exhibit, divided chronologically, starts with the 1800-1820 period. Although there isn’t as much available in the collection from this period, Endslow said that the emphasis is on the Empire Style and Neo-Classical. “Think Jane Austin.”
Subsequent sections show the advent of highlighted waists, hoops and bustles.
Also included is a display of women’s undergarments, those items used to create those shapes. “It shows the transition between the periods, how the shape changed over time,” she said. “And most of the shape was not natural.”
Men’s and children’s clothing will also be on display. While men’s clothing was far more simple than women’s, a display of men’s vests will show style. “Although the suits might have been simple, vests were where you could show your individuality,” Endslow said.
While the fashionable clothing of the more wealthy women might draw the eye, the contrast between that, the clothing of the working women and the Quaker women show the contract of styles and life in Chester County.
The exhibit says a lot of the people of Chester County, according to Endslow. “They had a wide range of opportunities that reflected national trends,” she said. “Chester County was only a one-day’s drive from Philadelphia, so it wasn’t hard to have access to all the materials people had access to in the cities.”
It also shows how technology changed the fashion world.
“The advent of the sewing machine in the 1840s revolutionized fashion,” she said. No longer was it necessary to hand sew everything, trims were now ready-made and far more complex than they were before.
The advent of photography also changed the industry. “More people were willing and able to have their portraits taken. And what did you do for you portrait?” You wore your best dress.
By the end of the century, there were ready-made dry goods stores and professional dressmakers in Chester County and accessible department stores in Philadelphia. There was even the Sears & Roebuck catalog where women could order their clothing.
“There’s something personal about clothing,” Endslow said. “You can’t talk to the people (who lived during that time), but you can get a sense of them through what they wore.”
The Chester County Historical Society is located at 225 N. High St., West Chester. For information, call 610-692-4800 or visit www.chestercohistorical.org
via fashion - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHUvwd62QhihomL__x56IDS9UQadw&url=http://www.dailylocal.com/lifestyle/20131117/chester-county-historical-society-exhibit-traces-19th-century-fashion
0 意見:
張貼留言