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If these black mitts remind you of circa 1980s Madonna, you're not alone. The first time I encountered a pair of black 19th century mitts, I instantly remembered the fingerless lace gloves Madonna wore throughout much of the 1980s. She wears a... Read Article ››
Spring flowers
Spring is here! Today, March 20, is the first day of spring for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. Spring brings longer days, warmer weather and a host of colorful blooms. In celebration of spring's arrival, we offer you an array of flowers... Read Article ››
In the archives: Silver paper headdress, c. 1860
First published in July 2010, this post explores the connections between a delicate nineteenth century headdress in our collection and dress of the ancient world. Anyone interested in the history of fashion quickly realizes that fashion is a... Read Article ››
Lily Hanbury picture postcard
In the late nineteenth century, London theatres staged productions designed to entertain the working and middle classes. Operettas, comedies, melodramas and Shakespearean drama offered theatregoers "an escape from the dreary monotony and daily... Read Article ››
Top five posts of 2011–“The Art of Dressing Has Never Been Manifested with So Much Brilliancy”: Fashion and the Paris Exposition of 1900
The most popular post of 2011 is truly deserving of this honor! Associate Curator Christina Johnson's investigation into a a 1900 gown in our collection and its relationship to the Paris Exposition of 1900 is a joy to read. *********** Did... Read Article ››
Top five posts of 2011–Day ensemble, 1870-72
Our third most popular post of 2011 features a striking green and black day ensemble from the early 1870s. If you've been following our countdown, this ensemble may look familiar. That's because yesterday's post on 1880s bustles included a... Read Article ››
Top five posts of 2011–Return of the bustle
Our fourth most popular post of 2011 featured one of the most analyzed topics in fashion history--nineteenth century understructure. The post, first published in February 2011, discussed the 1880s bustle and featured two examples from our collection.... Read Article ››
Johann Hummel court suit, c. 1810-14
Since our FABULOUS! exhibition opened in September, we've featured selected exhibition highlights on our blog. As FABULOUS! closes tomorrow, this post will be our final installment in the series. Want to revisit favorite pieces from the... Read Article ››
1890s cabinet card and cape
Cabinet card1896-1898Give of Steven Porterfield2009.897.27 Whoa! What happened to this cabinet card?!? Browsing through our collections management database, I was struck by the unusual orientation of this image, not to mention the sitter's... 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 ››
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 ››
Making a mount for an 1870s dolman
Today's post is by our Study Collection Manager and expert mountmaker, Carolyn Jamerson. In a previous post, Carolyn described the process of making floating forms. In this post, Carolyn describes the unique challenges of making a custom mount for... Read Article ››