Written by Sue McDonald I have written before about plans to go to this year’s Costume College, and now I have been there. Even two weeks after the fact it is hard to express how joyful, exciting, and inspiring the weekend was. Costume College, sponsored by Costumer’s Guild West, has been going on for [...]
Liberty Hall Museum is located on the campus of Kean University in Union, New Jersey. One of Union County's best kept secrets, it was built in 1772. It was the home of William Livingston, a signer of the Constitution and New Jersey's first elected governor. The grounds are made up of 23 acres of manicured [...]
Located in New Paltz, New York, Historic Huguenot Street is a history museum which combines academic and costumed interpretations to give visitors a whole history of New Paltz and Huguenot Street. Founded in 1677 by seven French Protestant families who fled the religious persecutions and wars of Europe, New Paltz’s history follows the greater American Narrative. With seven original stone houses, multiple historic structures, and a reproduction 1717 Church, HHS recreates American history, not by focusing on dates and names, but on the thoughts, feelings, and emotions of the people who came before, starting with the earliest contact period, and ending with the industrial revolution and the turn of the 20th century. HHS employs a combination of interpretive methods to create a whole experience for the guest, including costumed actors who invoke the spirit of the past, the emotions and feeling of the people living in the moment of a historic event in American history. One of those moments is the turn of the 20th century, a time when the nation was reacting to the changes brought on by the Industrial Revolution. HHS uses the Deyo House, a two room 17th century colonial stone house that was renovated in 1894 and turned into a two story Victorian Estate, and an actress portraying the Deyo family’s house maid to recreate the emotions of a changing culture through the perspective a member of the lower class. For the Deyo family and their house maid, their inability to adapt to the changes in society resulted in serious fears for their livelihoods and their futures. In order to faithfully recreate this moment in time, attention to detail is a steadfast requirement. As the center of the guests’ attention, the actress herself needs to exist in the moment as well, and the first step in that process is her wardrobe. After extensive research, the Agatha Ensemble from Recollections was a perfect match in terms of quality and image. Recollections would like to thank our customer, Historic Huguenot Street, and Kristine Gogg for showing us how history comes to life in New Paltz, NY! Photos provided by Historic Huguenot Street. Interpreter in photos: Davida Haber. To find out more about Historic Huguenot Street, please visit historichuguenotstreet.org. […]
The Civil War (1861 – 1865) had a large, and very personal effect on everyone then living in the United States, but most especially in the South. Most of us recall images from the very famous movie “Gone with the Wind”. Who hasn’t seen and envied Scarlett’s ivy-print day dress, or the fabulous red gown [...]
This year Recollections will be one of the proud sponsors of the Slatington Ball, an event which happens only once every 25 years. The ball will take place on Friday, August 15th, at the Diamond Fire Company Social Hall. This year will be special because the ball will be the culmination of the 150th anniversary [...]
What do Dust Ruffles and Dress Shields, Beginning Thermoplastics techniques, Death’s Head Buttons, and Making a Pair of Mechanical Wings have in common? Each is one of the over 150 classes that will be offered at this year’s Costume College, presented by the Costumers Guild West, this July in Woodland Hills, California. As an avid [...]
Highclere Castle Highclere Castle is the home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and also features as Downton Abbey, the hugely successful drama series with over 11 million viewers in the UK and now shown in over 100 countries around the world. From the pen of Oscar-winning ('Gosford Park') screenwriter, Julian Fellowes, now Lord [...]
The American West has left an indelible mark on fashion trends on both sides of the Atlantic. Few periods are more distinct than the styles that emerged as civilization came across America and newly-established towns created an environment where ladies could once again aspire to dress as they had when they still lived in the [...]
The Victorian Era is named for Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901. As you might imagine, fashions changed dramatically over this 60-year span, but the changes didn’t happen as quickly as you might think. During the early years of the Victorian age, travel and communication were much slower than today, so a particular [...]