Exploring the Collections of the Connecticut Historical Society

In early 2011, we visited the Connecticut Historical Society to see their exhibition, "Connecticut Needlework: Women, Art, and Family, 1740-1840."  The exhibit profiled the variety of needle crafts created by the women of early Connecticut, and included everything from crewel bed hangings to mourning art to embroidered shoes to samplers to a whitework gown to quilts and quilted petticoats (and much more besides).  Our post on the exhibit discusses in detail several of the items on display, and also links to the book/catalogue assembled for the exhibit, which is fantastic and an excellent investment to add to the library of any historical fashion or needle arts enthusiast.

For those of you who aren't familiar with CHS, the museum exclusively collects artifacts and antiques with a known New England provenance.  What is particularly unique about their holdings, however, is that most of their pieces can be even more specifically tied to Connecticut itself.  Because of this, the ladies of our reenacting unit have been very eager to study the eighteenth-century clothing and accessories in the collection to help us improve the regional details of our interpretation of our CT Revolutionary War ancestors.  In mid-January, our lovely Distaff Coordinator was able to arrange a private study session with CHS's costume and textiles curator, enabling a small group of us the privilege to handle and closely examine each and every one of the costume items in the museum's collection that is dated between 1750 and 1800. 

Although the photos we took during our study time are exclusively for private research purposes and thus cannot be shared here, thanks to CHS's fabulous and ever-expanding eMuseum, we can nonetheless give you a comprehensive overview of some of the fantastic items we were able to see!  First, we all drooled (almost literally) over five gowns, all dating to the second half of the eighteenth century.  All can be found in the online catalogue (direct links don't seem to work, I apologize!).  One of my favorites was a dark ground chintz with a red and pencil blue floral design (dated 1775-85; CHS acc. no. 1959.54.4), its skirt and the front of the center-closing bodice pieced to within an inch of its life.  The fabric is some of the most stunning cotton I've seen (so much prettier in person!), so light-weight and thin and fully retaining the crispness and subtle sheen that characterizes true eighteenth-century chintz.  It's actually a lot darker than it appears in the eMuseum photo below, being closer to black than the chocolate brown it seems to be here.

Brown chintz round gown, 1775-1785 (CHS acc. no. 1959.54.4) .

Photo linked from the CT Historical Society eMuseum.

Other highlights from the day included two sets of stays (one sized to a child of about age three), several calash bonnets, some stunning brocade shoes, the red quilted calamanco petticoat we had oogled in the earlier exhibit, and a couple of shortgowns, among other items.  We also examined some gentlemen's coats, waistcoats, and shirts.

The two jewels in the crown of the museum's eighteenth-century costume collection, however, are a rare CT loyalist military coat and a cloak owned by Deborah Champion.  The "Redcoat," worn by CT native Munson Hoyt when he served in a CT loyalist regiment during the Revolution, is one of only two examples of a "Redcoat" know to survive in this country (CHS acc. no. 1896.9.1).  Needless to say, we spent a good deal of time oogling it and taking note of all of its little details and secrets.

One of only two extant "Redcoats" (CHS acc. no. 1896.9.1).

Photo linked from the CT Historical Society's eMuseum.

The second undeniable treasure we had the privilege to study was Deborah Champion's cloak (CHS acc. no. 1981.37.1), its vivid cardinal red color still a vibrant reminder of the courageous woman who once wore it.  The cloak was gifted to the museum with family tradition suggesting it is the cloak worn on her famous ride across British lines to deliver dispatches to Washington in Boston in 1775.  This post reproduces a letter in which the 22-year-old young woman recounts her experience (complete with a description of her clothes, huzzah!) to a friend.  Most thrilling to me was the realization that this cloak's piecing and construction are remarkably similar to those seen on the cloak in Costume Close-up.  It's always neat when sources coincide like that!

Deborah Champion's cloak (CHS acc. no. 1981.37.1).

Photo linked from the CT Historical Society's eMuseum.

I strongly encourage you to take the time to look through all of the items showcased in CHS's eMuseum.  Their costume and textiles collection is quite large and comprehensive, but somehow it tends to get overlooked in the world of costuming sources, I assume just because the museum is comparatively on the smaller side when it comes to the more famous museums in the immediate area.  This is most unfortunate because it's a great resource and more than repays a visit if ever you're in the area.

We'd like to personally thank the curator of costumes and textiles, as well as the rest of the staff at CHS, for so generously accommodating our group and for sharing their collection with us in such a special way.  Our unit hosts a number of local school and educational programs, and being able to use this experience to reproduce and then share some of the uniquely CT clothing items that we saw will be a tremendously special addition to our discussions and our unit's Rev War interpretations.

A Glimpse into the Creation of a True "Reproduction" Gown

A screencap from the vodcast, to lure you into watching it!

Captured from "A Dress in a Day" on history.org.

Yesterday, Colonial Williamsburg posted a new vodcast, "A Dress in a Day," which offers a fascinating glimpse into the work performed by the mantua-makers and milliners of the past.  The video - the first in a two-part series - profiles the reproduction of an original gown from CW's collection using only the materials, techniques, and time span historically appropriate to the moment of the gown's creation.  As I'm sure many of you will recognize, this gown is one of the several featured in Costume Close-up.

The original gown being reproduced in the vodcast,

dated to the late 1770s or early 1780s (CW acc. no. 1983-233).

Image linked from Colonial Williamsburg's e-museum.

Interviews with CW's costume and textiles curator and the skilled members of the Margaret Hunter Shop address numerous details of the gown's production - and reproduction! - process, from the width of the original silk to how integral that width was to the gown's construction.  The working conditions and experiences of the tradeswomen who created garments like these are also discussed, as is the delight their twenty-first-century counterparts took in capturing them all over again.

Keep an eye out for the concluding part next month to see how the gown turns out!

(PS - SPOILER ALERT! - If you can't wait another month to see the finished product, the Margaret Hunter Shop's facebook page has posted "behind the scenes" photos of the filming of the vodcast, which include the finished gown.)

Introducing Young Students to 18th-Century Clothing

In addition to attending the large reenactment events we always blog about, our Rev War unit also presents a number of educational programs each year to schools, historical sites, groups, and museums throughout the state.  Yesterday was one of our many yearly school shows, which provides local students with a full day of interactive instruction in military and civilian life during the Revolutionary War to supplement their standard history curriculum.  My work schedule over the past few years hasn't allowed me to take part in any of these school shows, so I was thrilled when things finally fell into place to enable me to lend a hand this time around!

Our program divides students into ten different stations, each focusing on a different aspect of the Rev War period.  The topics for each station vary, depending on both the specialties and the current research interests of the individual unit members able to attend.  Yesterday's program included, among other things, foodways, the life of a Continental solider, pirates, a conversation with a British marine, spies during the Revolution, the military surgeon, CT Rev War battles, and clothing, but we've done everything from music and dance to battle tactics to drilling instruction in the past.  The students spend the day moving from station to station, taking about 20 minutes at each to learn a bit about all of the different subject areas.  Our day concludes with a "tavern scene" that stages a political conversation between patriots and loyalists on the eve of the Revolution, presenting both sides of the argument and asking students in the end to decide for themselves which side they think they might have chosen, had they lived in the shoes of their colonial ancestors.  I only wish I had had something like this to inspire me when I was in grade school!

As you can well imagine, I offered to do the clothing station and was thus faced with the challenge of how to introduce all those layers of clothes (for both men and women) to our middle school students in only 20 minutes - and make it exciting and relevant enough to capture their imaginations.  In the end, I elected to "dress" three student volunteers (in this brief block of time, that meant having them hold up the layers as we talked through them): one was a farmer who represented the majority of CT's men-at-arms during the Revolution, another was a farmer's wife, and the third was a lady who was a member of the gentry class.  I went dressed as one of the middling sort, so that all three primary levels of society would be represented to the students.

To help explain to the students both the highly stratified structure of society in colonial America and the function that clothing served to help mark those social boundaries, we began by discussing the four fibers from which textiles were made - linen, wool, cotton, and silk - and how, in many respects, there was a sort of "language" of clothing during the period that helped people distinguish, just by looking at a person, into which social level they most likely fell, and thus what type of work they most likely did in their clothes.  I asked the students if they thought we used clothing in the same way today, and why or why not?  This approach, of course, was made at the risk of being quite reductive, which was necessitated by the 20-minute session limit and the fact that our seventh-grade audience was coming to this conversation with very little context; had I been speaking to an older audience or one with any kind of previous background in the period, I would certainly have been much more cautious about qualifying such sweeping statements and discussing the complexities of both colonial social stratification and "reading" clothing in such a simplistic way.  But needs must in this case, and it seemed to work quite well in conveying such new and broad concepts.

Swatch boards I created to provide the students with a tactile way to

learn about the functions and social distinctions of dress during the Revolution.

We then passed around swatch boards of each type of fiber and I asked the students to think about which social level they thought each fabric might be associated with.  Which type of fabric felt most durable, like it could withstand many washings and harsh wear out in a field or while doing strenuous household chores?  Would a textile like silk be practical for a farmer or his wife to wear, considering the type of work they had to do?  Which fabric looks and feels the most delicate and expensive, and in what type of activity might a person wearing it be engaged?

We also talked about styles and "reading" clothing with this additional dimension in mind.  After thinking about why people choose the specific styles we wear today, we discussed how styles varied across social levels during the Revolution.  Would it have been practical (and safe) for a farmer's wife to wear the large side hoops modeled by our gentry lady?  Why do you think items like jackets and shortgowns were seen mostly on members of the lower class?  Who did those of the middling sort try to emulate with their fashion choices and why?

Considering we had all of twenty minutes in which to accomplish all of this, the students impressed me no end with how quickly they latched on to the broader concepts and how readily they were able to identify and discuss similarities and differences in social identities as we went along.  Their history teacher mentioned that they will be assigned a first-person character project soon, which will ask them to use the information they collected throughout the day to assume the persona of a individual living during the Revolution.  I'd be very curious to see if any of them draw upon their brief experience with clothing to help them discover and fashion their historical personalities!

A Fashionable "Silk Saturday" at Colonial Williamsburg

For those of you more interested in the pretties/costume side of last weekend, and less intrigued by the camp/military side of things, this post is for you!  Occassionally, the ladies of Colonial Williamsburg's Margaret Hunter shop treat themselves (and us visitors!) to a sumptuous display of silk creations on big event or reenactor weekends, and this past weekend was no exception.  "Silk Saturday" reigned in the shop, with the ladies, their shop display cases, and their counters draped in colorful, crisp arrays of shining silks of every variety and fashion.

Apprentice Sarah modeled a striped silk taffeta polonaise jacket and matching petticoat...

...while this young lady, adorned in a stunning pink poloanise gown edged with silk gauze trim, and a beribboned silk gauze cap, worked on her new stays across the room, catching the afternoon sunshine.

This blue/green striped silk gown (the construction process of which was profiled on the shop's facebook page) was displayed on the counter, it's amazing cuffs just begging to be admired.

Additional photos from this visit to the shop and from the Prelude to Victory weekend can be found in the weekend's flickr set.

Random Notes In Historical Fashion This Week...

Just a couple of quick, random notes about some current goings-on in 18th century fashion and textiles:

- This week's podcast by Colonial Williamsburg features journeyman Mark Hutter discussing the art and skill of tailoring in the 18th century.  Mr. Hutter addresses a range of interesting topics, from the difference in skill sets between those who practiced mantua-making and those who were tailors; the invention of the sewing machine (did you know mechanized sewing was being attempted in the mid-18th century?); the types and varieties of men's garments, and the art of achieving a perfect period fit.

Journeyman tailor Mark Hutter interprets and actively practices the
art of tailoring at Colonial Williamsburg.

4 July 2010.

- Rabbit Goody of Thistle Hill Weavers is holding a hands-on workshop/seminar on "Everyday Fabrics of the 18th Century" at Eastfield Village in NY this summer, 17-19 August (you might recall this is where we had our shoemaking workshop last summer).  The three-day workshop will explore the availability of different kinds of fabrics during the 18th century, how and where they were used, and how to identify textiles today.  Registration is now open here.  Due to scheduling conflicts, neither of us is able to attend, but we thought it sounded very intriguing and something our readers would be interested in hearing about.  If anyone does go, please let us know how it is!

Silk and feathers and boots...oh my!

A lovely array of silk gowns on display at the Margaret Hunter shop.

Colonial Williamsburg, May 2012

I've heard from others who were there during that weekend that the Margaret Hunter milliner's shop at Colonial Williamsburg featured some special 1860s fashions to tie into CW's commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Williamsburg.  Silly us stopped in on Saturday (must have been before they laid those things out!) and on Monday (after they put them all away and went back to the 1770s), so we missed it!  Ah well.  It would have been a lot of fun to see the 1860s items and hear the comparison discussions that went on about the changes in fashion across the hundred years' span being represented, but even though we missed that part of the weekend, we still found lots of 18th century confections and pretties in the shop on which to feast our eyes and to satisfy our sewing souls.  Here's a collection of some of our favorites.

The "Spruce Sportsman" feathered hat, which can't help but make you smile.

A pair of handmade green leather ladies riding boots, displayed alongside the
jacket of a ladies habit (right) and some additional  "Spruce Sportsman" items.

A reproduction of a chintz banyan in the collection of Colonial
Williamsburg.  Oh, how I adore this fabric.  I wonder what it would take
to persuade CW to release it as part of their cotton fabric line next year...:-)

The tailor's work table with a silk coat in progress.

Silk, glorious silk...

A detail of the sleeve ruffles on a cross-barred silk gown.  *sigh*

Historic Threads: Three Centuries of Clothing Colonial Williamsburg Online Exhibit

Last January, Colonial Williamsburg launched the beginnings of an online companion to their current exhibit "Fashion Accessories from Head to Toe."  Today, a new and improved and significantly expanded version of that online exhibit has arrived!

The portal page to the new online clothing and accessory exhibit from Colonial Williamsburg.

"Historic Threads: Three Centuries of Clothing" explores in glorious depth and detail the incredible costume collection of Colonial Williamsburg.  Drawing upon both the current accessories exhibit and their 2002 "The Language of Clothing" display (which was heaven, and I'd give almost anything to persuade them to mount it again!), this digital exhibit is organized to educate and dazzle both the newcomer to fashion history and the seasoned enthusiast.  The "Learn" portion explains the important aspects and terms of 18th century dress, from the parts of a formal gown to the pieces of an everyday man's wardrobe to the curiosities that were the fashionable accessory pieces of the day.  From these pages, one can easily link directly into the "Explore" half of the exhibit, which is a treasure-trove of accessories, gowns, jackets, prints, and shoes.  Each item is accompanied by a description and some pretty incredible zoom capabilities that are clear enough even to offer glimpses at the stitches in garment seams.

So stop wasting time reading this post and start exploring!  You can link to the exhibit from the Online Exhibits and Multimedia page of CW's museums website (where you'll also find much more to see!).

The zoom function on the individual items allows incredible close-up views of the items

and their construction techniques.

Pretties from the Past

The dolls preparing their tiny but oh-so-elegant and fashionable

wardrobe for holiday festivities.

Our entire family was in Williamsburg a couple of weeks ago to enjoy (for the very first time!) the Grand Illumination festivities.  Ashley will be sharing a report of that shortly, but in the meantime, here's a little collection of pictures from our obligatory visit(s) to the Margaret Hunter Shop. As is tradition with Colonial Williamsburg (a modern tradition, not a colonial one, that is!), the shop front was bedecked with an evergreen wreath embellished by the ladies of the shop and designed to reflect the trades practiced within it. This year's wreath included two adorable little fashion dolls in their cardinal red cloaks, a set of pockets, some beribboned straw hats, and a cute little red and white muff.

In front of the large windows of the shop were smaller wreaths suspended by red ribbons and very simply adorned with red cloth hearts. Aren't they really cute?

Inside, we found the ladies hard at work on a new bedgown one afternoon. It's made of a purple and white spotted cotton, a resist print that looks strikingly similar to the one pictured in Walton's famous Plucking the Turkey (1776). It will be quite lovely when finished and it got me thinking that we really don't see enough spotted cottons amongst re-enactor and costumer reproduction eigtheenth-century clothing!

As usual, the counters of the shop were ladden with all sorts of goodies, from this elegant fashion doll presiding over some wares,...

...to this striped silk child's gown and striped infant stays,...

...to this hand-quilted velvet pudding cap, which I never tire of seeing.  It is copied from an original made of cotton velvet in the CW collection (acc. no. 1952-55).

Dressed in a stunning silk ensemble and gauze cap, Miss Emma was perched close by the window to catch the last of the afternoon sun, hard at work on some ruffles and looking like a period painting herself!

Of Gowns and Calashes and Favorite Things

Our sincere apologies for disappearing for so long!  Is it really over a month since our last post?  Between heaps and piles of work, losing power for eight days in the pre-Halloween snow storm, and too-busy schedules, we haven't had time for anything lately!  At long last, we're back - with promises to make up for missed time and then some!  We have many exciting things to share with you over the next few weeks, so thank you for your patience during our absence and keep checking back now for frequent updates!  :-)

Ashley was in Williamsburg for a workshop and conference this past week, so I tagged along for the ride (who wouldn't take advantage of any excuse she could get to go there?!).  Although I spent 90% of my time in the city's various libraries doing research and other work, I made sure to take a few hours to enjoy the stunning autumn transformation of the historic area.  Of course, I had to make a stop (fine, I admit it - two stops...) at the Margaret Hunter shop to indulge in all the new gorgeous fashionable creations on display and to chat with the ladies about their current projects.

A close-up of the front of "Mrs Newton's Gown," which was reproduced 

from a portrait last year by the ladies of the shop.

Before Ashley headed off to her workshop on Friday, we ventured into the shop to find Journeywoman Mrs Warren discussing this reproduction of an uncut embroidered waistcoat.  She explained how a general pattern for the waistcoat fronts and pockets would be drawn first, then the front panels, the pocket flaps, and the buttons would be embroidered with the proper cutting allowance.  The tailor would then cut the pattern and make up the waistcoat to the specifications of his client.  It is rare to find uncut pieces like this, which makes it all the more fascinating to look at and to study its production process.

An uncut embroidered waistcoat.  You can see the two front panels, with

the row of small flowers running up the middle that would be made into

individual covered buttons.  At the very top edge, you can see a pocket, which

would also be cut and then applied to its proper place on one of the front pieces.

Also on display around the shop were the usual array of silk gowns, covered hats, cotton prints, and muffs.

One morning a couple of days ago, I found apprentice Sarah and Miss Emma hard at work on a new green taffeta calash.  Several of the other visitors in the shop expressed curiosity about the concept and the bonnet's purpose, so Emma brought out the massive "Spruce Sportsman" black calash she modeled at the March conference and explained how it worked.  It's always so much fun to watch peoples' faces when they hear about excessive, quirky fashion trends like that for the first time!

Emma demonstrates one calash for the guests,

while Sarah works on a smaller green one at the table.

Ashley's reports on her workshop and the conference will be coming soon, as well as some additional fall photos from around town.  Stay tuned!

No trip to Colonial Williamsburg is ever complete...

...without a trip (or two...or maybe even three...yes, we're very sad!) to the Margaret Hunter milliner's shop.  We know that a number of our readers, like us, delight in wallowing in endless pictures of period clothing, so here's a mini photo-essay of some of the more recent creations of the incredibly talented milliners/mantua makers and tailors at Colonial Williamsburg.  Enjoy the pretties!

Apprentice Sarah organizing the fabric.  Sounds like fun to me!

On Saturday during Under the Redcoat, we stopped by the shop ever so briefly on our way back to camp, just to see what was new on display (and also to enjoy a snatch of much-needed air conditioning!).  Our visit was short lived, however, because the shop was quite busy with visitors, so we snapped a few quick pictures and headed back to "work."

Journeywoman Mrs Warren at work

(and wearing her stunning embroidered jacket - I love that color).

A fashion doll perched on a shelf, silently yet

very ably advertising her wares.

Knowing that Sunday is typically the day in the shop for the tailors, we were sure to make time amongst our UTR duties the next day to stop by again to consult with Mr Hutter about some questions that have arisen about our stays since we started them in the Burnley and Trowbridge workshop back in April.  He very graciously and helpfully assisted with our quandaries, and after chatting a bit more about the progress of our stays (we were incredibly lucky we caught the shop at a rare quiet time), we admired some of the gentlemen's items on display and then ventured back out into the heat to watch our regiment perform in the afternoon's firing demonstration.

The "Spruce Sportsman" coat, waistcoat, and hat, along with some infant stays.

A gorgeous coat of creamy silk taffeta, lined in pink.  It's absolutely stunning;
I wish we had gotten a better shot of the lining contrast!

The tailor's worktable, strewn with two in-progress chintz banyans.

Our final visit came the following Saturday, to indulge in the pleasures of "Silk Saturday."  Heavenly silk gowns, hats, and petticoats adorned the shop, which was busy with visitors conversing eagerly with the shop's new young interns.  What a fantastic atmosphere!  After chatting for a bit with Sarah about some of her recent research (thanks so much for so generously taking the time to share all of that with us!), however, we very reluctantly dragged ourselves away.  If only we could have stayed all day!

Interns hard at work, catching the sunlight.

A quilted silk petticoat and a couple of hats, all of which I wanted

to carry home with me!

An infant's gown with a red taffeta bag displayed on top.

If you'd like to see more of the impressive work done in the Margaret Hunter shop, be sure to visit their facebook page!  Some additional photos of ours can be found in our flickr set and by clicking on the "CW milliner" tag below.

Current Exhibit: Fashion Accessories from Head to Toe at CW

Although we attended the accessories conference in March (and although I was fortunate enough to take part in a guided tour of the exhibit with Linda Baumgarten during that week), we were kept so busy during the conference that it wasn't until our return visit to Colonial Williamsburg last week that I finally got the opportunity to go through "Fashion Accessories from Head to Toe" in great detail, at my own preferable (and prodigiously slow) museum-going pace.  I know a number of bloggers have posted about their visits to the exhibit, and I realize that there are many, many spectacular photos of a number of the items already online in various locations, so I won't go into much depth here.  Hardly wishing to neglect such an important display of rarely-seen items, however, I thought I'd just offer a few thoughts and photos to supplement what's already out there.

One of the fully accessorized figures in the exhibit,

which helps to contextualize not only the evolution of dress

and its accessories, but also the various functions each served.
See CW's Historic Threads listing for more.

There are three novel features of this exhibit that I really admire and would love to see emulated by future exhibitions on fashion and dress at other museums.  These include an "introductory" display case that juxtaposes 21st-century accessories with their 18th-century counterparts; a stunning "timeline" of fully dressed and accessorized figures demonstrating the evolution of fashion from the last quarter of the 18th century through the first quarter of the 19th, and a short film (much of which can be seen here) that visually enacts the process of dressing and accessorizing in the 18th century by bringing a period fashion print quite literally to life.

The 18th century meets the 21st...

By providing contextualization for the items - many of them genuine curiosities undoubtedly almost unidentifiable to most 21st-century eyes - each of these three features positions the museum visitor sufficiently within the compass of 18th-century dress to imagine and integrate the identity and the function of the antique accessories on view.  One of the problems raised during the conference focused on traditional exhibition techniques, in which museums showcase items of dress as separate entities, each distinct from another; a gown, for instance, all too frequently appears unadorned and standing alone, while an apron lies across the room in one display case, jewelry in another, and hats in another.  This isolationist approach to fashion, the conference speakers collectively argued, provides a highly inaccurate sense of the fashions of the past because the visitor remains incapable of understanding how dress and its various accessories functioned not only independently, but alongside each other.  Baumgarten's curatorial approach to this project is highly successful in bringing to life the most accurate representation of Fashion and fashion; for another superb current example, check out "Napoleon and the Empire of Fashion" (and vote to bring it to NYC!).

A French pocketbook (1800-1830), beautifully embroidered. 

The Valentines inside are original.  Be sure to look at the

CW Historic Threads listing for this item to see some close-ups and for more details.

As I mentioned earlier in one of the conference postings, there will not be an exhibit catalogue, which is most unfortunate because we're in desperate need of more serious scholarship on accessories and the minutiae of fashionable dress, and the amount of work that went into mounting this unique exhibit is obviously extraordinary.  The good thing is, though, that the exhibit is up for almost two years (until 31 December 2012) to provide a maximum opportunity to see it.  If you can manage a trip to CW before it closes, the exhibit is well worth the effort!  Photos can't do many of these intricate and clever little items justice.  If you can't make it to the exhibit, be certain not to miss the "Historic Threads" online exhibit (which features a detailed look at a number of items from the museum display) and CW's vodcast on it (which includes a conversation with Linda Baumgarten, the exhibit's curator).

I adore this little workbag (1760-1780), which features a

drawer that pulls out of the right side and a collection of other

secret and useful little compartments.  For more on this item

(including close-up options), click here to go to CW's Historic Threads listing.

Additional photos of the exhibit can be found on our flickr set (it's a limited selection, since there are countless others already on flickr), along with piccies from our March and June/July visits to CW.  Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Mrs. Madison!

Portrait of Dolley Madison by Alan Dordick, after Gilbert Stuart

Courtesy of the Montpelier Foundation & Alan Dordick Studios

Linked from the Montpelier facebook page.

Today marks the 243^rd anniversary of Dolley Payne Madison’s birth!  "Mrs. Madison" will be celebrating at Montpelier today where guests can join her for some birthday cake and lemonade!  Montpelier is also offering free admission to any visitors born on this date or to those who share Dolley's first name.  (You can find more details about the celebration on Montpelier's facebook page or website.)

Mr. and Mrs. Madison celebrating Mr. Madison's birthday earlier this year at Montpelier.

The Montpelier Foundation
Photo linked from the Montpelier facebook page.

Montpelier, the long-time Madison family home in Virginia, is hosting an exhibit dedicated to Mrs. Madison and her trend-setting fashion.  "Dolley Madison's Life Through Fashion: Dressing the Part" will be open at Montpelier June 15, 2011 through March 31, 2012.  The exhibit will feature costumes from the recent PBS documentary, “Dolley Madison, America’s First Lady,” and will explore the fashions and styles favored by America’s “first” First Lady.  Inspirational fashion plates and designer sketches for the costumes will also be on display.

A sketch of Dolley's "Quaker Dress" from the documentary
“Dolley Madison, America’s First Lady."

Photo courtesy of the PBS American Experience Flickr page.

The costumes were designed by Candice Donnelly and constructed by Eric Winterling, Inc. in NYC.  Constructing clothing for period accuracy and designing "costumes" for film require some of the same general concepts, but they generally have two very different purposes in terms of the final product.  In this behind the scenes feature, Ms. Donnelly describes the process of creating historic costumes for film.  She studied period prints and paintings which, she explains, not only helped her to choose fabrics, but also gave hints as to how the garments were constructed.  Since the documentary spanned a time period of approximately fifty years, the costumes needed to reflect the changing fashions of the time as well as the continuous evolution of Dolley's situation in life.  The video also shows Eve Best (Dolley Madison) during her costume fittings with Eric Winterling, which allows you to catch a closer look at some of these beautiful creations.  What I found most interesting in this feature was Ms. Donnelly's description of how the costumes are incorporated into the film and characters.  Costume designers have to think about the personality and the history of the person who will be wearing them.  They also have to consider the sets and backgrounds, as well as any furniture, props, or other characters in any given scene.  Accessories, she explains, can be used to accentuate the costumes and to keep the character from blending into the background of the shot.

Eve Best as Dolley Madison in “Dolley Madison, America’s First Lady."

Photo courtesy of the PBS American Experience Flickr page.

Fashion was changing quickly at the turn of the century and Dolley was sure to keep up with the latest styles.  As the frequent hostess for President Jefferson and then as First Lady, Mrs. Madison was a model to others who admired her and closely followed her trends.  One of her favorite new accessories was the turban.  Edward Maeder, fashion historian and milliner for the documentary, explains a brief history of the turban revival and demonstrates how he constructed the turbans used in the film in this behind-the-scenes video.

An example of Dolley wearing a turban in this portrait by Joseph Wood.

The Virginia Historical Society, Accession No. 1967.14

The documentary, which is part of the PBS series American Experience, premiered earlier this year.  You can view the show and read the transcript on the companion website.  The website also offers a host of special features and resources, from behind the scenes videos and deleted scenes to a reading list and lesson plans for teachers.

Jefferson Mays as James Madison and Eve Best as Dolley Madison
in “Dolley Madison, America’s First Lady."

Photo courtesy of the PBS American Experience Flickr page.

Dolley Payne was born in North Carolina in 1768 and moved with her family to Virginia the next year.  When Dolley was 15 years old, her father followed the trend of his fellow Quakers: he emancipated his slaves and moved the family to Philadelphia where he attempted to start a starch-manufacturing business.  By 1789, Mr. Payne's business was a failure and he was shunned from Quaker meetings due to outstanding debts.  Mrs. Payne fortunately had more business sense, and she set about establishing a successful boarding house in town, which continued to support the family following Mr. Payne's death in 1792.  In 1790 Dolley married John Todd, a Quaker man her father had chosen.  Two years later, the couple welcomed their first son, John Payne.  The year 1793 brought an epidemic of Yellow Fever, during which Dolley lost several family members including both her husband and their second son, William Temple, who was only a month old at the time.

She met James Madison the next year through their mutual friend, Aaron Burr.  Madison asked Burr to introduce them, and after a short courtship, Madison proposed.  At age 43, seventeen years Dolley's senior, Madison had never been married and was thought by many to be a lifetime bachelor.  They were married within the year and Dolley was subsequently dismissed from the Quaker community for marrying outside the group.  A few years later, they moved to Madison's home, Montpelier, only to move to the new capitol of Washington D.C. in 1801 following Madison's appointment as Secretary of State.

One of Mrs. Madison's own gowns on display in
"The First Ladies at the Smithsonian" exhibit at the National Museum of American History. 
The caption for the gown reads: "Dolley Madison’s silk satin
open robe is hand-embroidered with flowers, butterflies, dragonflies,
and phoenixes. It is typical of the style of the late 1810s."

During the couple's first years in the Capitol, Dolley took an active role in supporting the nation's new government.  Her natural ability to make guests at ease made her the perfect candidate to aid President Jefferson as White House hostess.  When Madison was elected President in 1809, Dolley began setting the precedent for political wives and First Ladies.  She set about decorating the White House in a style that was elegant yet not monarchical.  Her own clothing fashions mirrored these ideas and others began to mimic her trends.  But Dolley was always first and foremost her husband's strongest supporter in both political and personal matters.

Eve Best as Dolley Madison in “Dolley Madison, America’s First Lady."

Photo courtesy of the PBS American Experience Flickr page.

After two terms as President, leading through the War of 1812, Madison and his wife finally retired back to their home at Montpelier, where they would remain happily for the next several years.  Their 41 year marriage ended in June 1836 when James Madison passed away.  Today we have a limited glimpse into the Madison's marriage due to the lack of correspondence between the two; they were so rarely apart so that there was never a need for letter writing!  Following her husband's death, Dolley spent the majority of her time in Washington D.C.  Her only son, John Payne Todd, continuously caused distress with his constant gambling habits and he was unable successfully to manage the Madison estate.  In 1844, Dolley was forced to sell Montpelier.  Mrs. Madison passed away on July 12, 1849 at the age of 81.  Unfortunately, since Montpelier was then in private hands outside of her family, she was initially buried in Washington D.C., before finally being brought to rest next to her husband.

For more about Dolley Madison, read her biography on the Montpelier website and visit some of the links below.

Additional Links and Resources:

The Dolley Madison Digital Edition

The Dolley Madison Project

Miniature of Mrs. James Madison (artist unknown)
Yale University Art Gallery eCatalogue
Collection 1940.512

Image of 1804 portrait of Dolley Payne Madison by Gilbert Stuart

The White House Historical Association (White House Collection)

Acquisition Number: 994.1737.1

Image of 1817 portrait of Dolley Madison by Bass Otis
Collection of The New-York Historical Society 
Object Number: 1867.308

Image of 1848 portrait of Dolley Madison by William S. Elwell
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Museum
Ref: NPG.74.6

Free iTunes Download of Poplar Forest Conversations on Democracy
featuring Lauren Leigh as Dolley Madison and Bill Barker as Thomas Jefferson

Montpelier Facebook page