V is for Valentino
  You've probably heard that retired couturier Valentino Garavani (b. 1932) will soon launch a virtual museum showcasing highlights from his five decades in fashion. Slated to launch on December 5, the virtual museum will use 3-D technology to... Read Article ››

Silk plush top hat, c. 1855-60
  In the mid-nineteenth century, a gentleman of distinction wouldn't have dared to leave his house without a hat. The most popular style of men's hat was the glossy, silk plush top hat, sometimes called a chimney pot or stovepipe. Equated with... Read Article ››

Duck dress, c. 1930
  Day dress c. 1930 Gift of Steven Porterfield S2007.897.39 The charming idiosyncrasy of this dress always gets a smile. From a distance, it is simply a black day dress with a 1920s silhouette and bright red applied decoration. But take a closer look... Read Article ››

Court gown and train, 1907
  Ladies attending Their Majesties' Courts will appear in Full Dress, with Trains and Plumes.1   Court gown & train London, EnglandRedfern1907Museum Purchase, Funds provided by Yvonne Hummel2008.932.19AB Worn only during the ceremony in... Read Article ››

Holly’s Harp hand-painted evening gown
  Evening gown Holly's Harp 1974 Gift of Gloria Strasburger 99c.059.09 The sinuous lines of Holly Harp's evening wear hearken back to the form-fitting, bias cut gowns of the 1930s. Her career began in the hippie milieu of late 1960s Los Angeles.... Read Article ››

Holding history in my hands
  In today's post, Christina Johnson, associate curator and resident photography expert, describes her long-standing fascination with historic photography. She also discusses the conservation of a mid-nineteenth century ambrotype portraying two... Read Article ››

Research resources, part 2
  It's been a long time since we've talked about research resources! Our last post on this topic was in February 2010--practically a millenia in terms of how fast information appears on the internet. All of the resources we suggested in that... Read Article ››