Victorian Adornments: Lecture Reminder July 19th, 7:00

“Adornments,” an exhibit of fashionable accessories from the Victorian era, will be on display at the Colonel Paul Wentworth House in Rollinsford through the month of July.  The exhibit features jewelry, fans, handbags, parasols, capes and other items worn by ladies of the Abbott-Goodwin family of Massachusetts from the 1830s through the early 1900s.  The collection is on loan from South Berwick resident Jean Demetracopoulos.

An illustrated lecture and guided tour of the exhibit will be presented on Thursday evening, July 19 at 7 pm by Julia Roberts and Tara Vose, curators of the exhibit.  Admission to the lecture and tour is $5 for the general public and free to ARCH members.

Illustration: Courtesy of Jean Demetracopoulos, Collection of Fans, c. mid-late19th century

http://www.paulwentworthhouse.org/

4H Fashion on Parade: Style Show & Fashion Revue!

4H communities across the country are preparing for annual summer town and county fairs, with livestock demonstrations, stacks of berry pies and breads and jar after jar of canned goods. Many do not realize, however, that the 4H has a strong textile component in the form of  garment design and construction, from the ages 6 -18.

I am honored to again serve as a judge for the Style Show and for the sheep lead line competition at the North Haverhill Fair. The attached link is a short film compiled from the last two seasons of achievement in New Hampshire.


Enjoy the summer fairs wherever you may be. 
Applaud youth!




http://video214.com/play/nOrOAXHTjj7UGdPR0120WA/s/dark

What is in a Label? Part ii London Cordwainers, Hose Family

In addition to Ridout & Davis (see earlier post) the author is also researching the work of the Hose family, London bootmakers and shoemakers. Their activity parallels that of Ridout & Davis from c. 1740s-1770s and can be found in several North American institutions, including this stunning pair of shoes owned by the Charleston Museum. 

They are several names associated with the family including William, John and Thomas but as of this writing, scant information is known regarding their training - just the survival of superlative Georgian footwear. The label provides the location for the concern, noted as "Lombard Street at the Sign of the Boot." Lombard Street was well located within the Ward of the Cordwainer. The fact that they may also have been bootmakers places them in the upper echelon of their craft.


This research will be presented, with London shoe designer Emma Hope, at the Costume Colloquium in Florence November 2012 as part of the paper "Brocade and Paste Buckles: The Work of Thomas Ridout, James Davis and Emma Hope."

Illustrations: (Top) Light blue satin, metallic braid, c. 1770s. Made by Thomas Hose. Originally worn by prominent South Carolina Lowcountry resident, Eliza Lucas Pickney. Gift of Mrs. William Wallace Childs. 
For further information on Mrs. Pickney, see charlestonmuseum.org and follow the Museum's eye catching and information rich, Textile Tuesdays. 
(Above) Hose shoes, courtesy Historic Deerfield, c. 1760s

July Exhibit: Victorian Accessories at Col. Paul Wentworth House

Adornments: “Accessories from the Victorian Era” on Exhibit at the 

Colonel Paul Wentworth House

“Adornments,” an exhibit of fashionable accessories from the Victorian era, will be on display at the Colonel Paul Wentworth House in Rollinsford through the month of July.  The exhibit features jewelry, fans, handbags, parasols, capes and other items worn by ladies of the Abbott-Goodwin family of Massachusetts from the 1830s through the early 1900s.  The collection is on loan from South Berwick resident Jean Demetracopoulos.

An unusual highlight of the exhibit is a collection of hair jewelry, sentimental jewelry made from the hair of loved ones.  While often thought of as mourning jewelry, just as often such jewelry was presented to a friend or family member as a token of affection.  The collection includes pins, bracelets, earrings, and lockets.

Another highlight is an assortment of fans, including a fan commemorating the opening of trade between Japan and the US in the 1850s, an autograph fan, and a variety of other examples made from ivory, sandalwood, ostrich feathers, silk, and other materials.

Please note: An illustrated lecture and guided tour of the exhibit will be presented on Thursday evening, July 19 at 7 pm by Julia Roberts and Tara Vose, curators of the exhibit.  Admission to the lecture and tour is $5 for the general public and free to ARCH members.

Illustration: Courtesy of Jean Demetracopoulos, woven shoe, c. mid 19th century

http://www.paulwentworthhouse.org/

Historic New England: Historic Textile Lecture

Everything Old is New Again: Revivals and Reproductions 

of Historic Textiles

Sunday, July 8, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.

Nickels-Sortwell House, 121 Main Street, Wiscasset, Maine

$5 Historic New England members, $10 nonmembers

Historic New England Associate Curator Laura Johnson discusses how textiles were used in historic interiors. From tapestries on tables to the voluminous patterns of the Victorians to the spare use of fabric in minimalist Modern, textiles warm, adorn, and give personality to our living spaces. Laura describes how textiles were designed, produced, and later reproduced for new generations wanting an authentic historic look for their homes.

Registration is recommended. Please call 207-882-7169 for more information. Purchase tickets now

http://shop.historicnewengland.org/p-6855-everything-old-is-new-again-revivals-and-reproductions-of-historic-textiles.aspx


http://bdnpull.bangorpublishing.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Laura-Johnson-and-visitors-examining-historic-textiles-250x250.jpg

Moffatt-Ladd House Costume Exhibit Opening, Portsmouth, NH.

On July 8th, the Moffatt-Ladd House will open a costume exhibition in celebration of its 1st century as a museum!

Afternoon at the Museum: 1912-1915

Featuring clothing from the collections of the University of New Hampshire, 

the Portsmouth Historical Society, and a private lender, 

in honor of the Moffatt-Ladd House and Garden’s 100^thanniversary as a museum.

Behind-the-scenes views of final costume and mannequin preparation at the University of New Hampshire, Bowen Collection. Astrida Schaeffer, costume historian and mannequin maker of www.schaefferarts.com and Gillian Cusack, Ph.D. Candidate, UNH, Collections Intern.

www.moffat-ladd.org

Footcandy 4th!

While these stilettos will not work at many 4th of July events, they shout patriotism from their heels to their vamps to the red, white and blue and stars and stripes!

A small sample of some personal favorites from top to bottom: Marc Jacobs, Louboutin, Kandee, and an Alexander McQueen Union Jack boot as a footwear icon of our Revolution.

Happy Independence Day!