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Fashion Archives
A Green Silk Pelisse
June 29th 2017
When entering Pratt House, the historic home where much of the Maryland Historical Society’s costume collection still resides, cardboard boxes stacked on shelves from ceiling to floor deprives the room of color. Opening a box to discover what lies within, however, always introduces magnificent patterns, colors, and fabrics, exciting…
Processing an 1880s Velvet Skirt
June 29th 2017
For the past three years, the Maryland Historical Society has been relocating the costume collection from the historic Pratt House to new textile storage rooms. The rehousing project allows us to reexamine and learn more about the collection. Although I have worked with museum collections before, this is my first…
Greene & Pike Cotton Printing
June 23rd 2017
Emily Hollingsworth wore an ivory, floral silk brocade dress in 1835, according to a label sewn onto the dress by Emily's descendants. Despite the dress's storage in Pratt House where water damage, lack of climate control, and insects threaten to deteriorate the museum's textile treasures, the dress's silk is fortunately…
Changes in Women's Gender Roles as Reflected in a 1940s Uniform
August 22nd 2016
This striking uniform from the 1940s is a representation of the new forms of work that women undertook during the twentieth century. The strong lines and clean design give this uniform the same authority expected in a man’s uniform, differing only in the presence of a skirt and the accentuation…
Recollecting Tragedy Through Fashion
August 22nd 2016
On February 7, 1904, Mrs. Leonard P. Baker, wearing her two-toned navy blue and black velvet suit, started out for church like any other Sunday morning. This Sunday, however, tragedy struck as the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904 ravaged the city, ingraining this day is Mrs. Baker’s memory.
Early 20th Century Men's Swimsuits
August 22nd 2016
This last week at the Maryland Historical Society (MdHS) has been a whirlwind of costumes; in the midst of processing the multitude of boxes pulled from Pratt House I stumbled upon a box of men’s early 20th century bathing suits. The novelty of the garments appealed to me because despite…
Albert Schroeck: Performing in Style
August 22nd 2016
During this past week, I processed a man’s black wool jacket that holds a rich history once observed closely. Inside the the coat’s interior pocket, the signature of the original owner can still be deciphered as “Albert T. Schroeck.”
The Bird Hat: “Murderous Millinery”
August 22nd 2016
Over the summer I have processed only a handful of the hats here at the Maryland Historical Society (MdHS). I was drawn to one hat that I found particularly interesting. Over the summer I have had the opportunity to learn how each costume has a tie to history.
Women's World War Uniforms and Changing Gender Roles
August 15th 2016
This week the interns were asked to put on a presentation demonstrating the cultivation of our work this summer. The following is my presentation - in transcript form - over five women's uniforms found in the MdHS collection.
A Dress and Its Label
August 1st 2016
Pulling boxes to process from Pratt House is a fun adventure. One box contained a beaded evening dresses from the 1960’s worn by Mrs. Ral Parr (Sonia Walshe-Whitman) gifted to the Maryland Historical Society (MdHS) by her son, Mr. Francis S. Whitman Jr. One such evening dress stuck out to…
Campbell Lloyd Stirling and the Campbell Clan Tartan
August 1st 2016
Last week, I found Campbell Lloyd Stirling’s (1892-1977) Scottish apparel, donated to the Maryland Historical Society in 1981 by his wife. The majority of the apparel was custom made for Stirling in Glasgow, Scotland in 1962. The more common articles, such as bowties and dress shirts, were bought at Hutzler…
An 1866 Gown
August 1st 2016
When looking at one of the dusty, deteriorating cardboard-boxes covered with the ceiling debris of Pratt House, one might expect the garments inside to be of the same condition. Fortunately, many of the artifacts are in relatively good condition, despite the poor costume housing. This week we processed a four-piece…
Hats, Hats, & More Hats: MdHS Millinery collection
July 21st 2016
The Maryland Historical Society (MdHS) has a fantastic collection of hats and bonnets. As fashion and hairstyles changed, the hat also evolved. Here is a glance at some of the hats within the MdHS collection. Each hat is a document of fashion and history with its own story waiting to…
Campbell Stirling's Scottish Apparel
July 21st 2016
Mr. Campbell Lloyd Stirling (1892–1977) bought custom-made Scottish apparel from Glasgow, Scotland in 1962. In 1981, Mrs. Campbell Stirling donated the apparel, along with some Baltimore-made clothing, to the Maryland Historical Society.