The “Henry Ford Holiday Nights” walk held at the Victorian-themed Greenfield Village, in Dearborn, Michigan, looks like a post-card perfect holiday scene from times gone by. Sheila Brown and her husband, Terry, love to participate while wearing costumes appropriate for the lovely Victorian setting. A while back, when Sheila was planning her costume for the [...]
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 [...]
We hope you will enjoy making this beloved decoration. Depending on the paper you use, and the embellishments you choose, your cones can be very simple, very elegant, or anything in between. The materials are easy to obtain, and the technique for making them can be mastered by even the very young. Materials: Paper [...]
Those Victorians, who from today’s point of view seemed to have a decidedly morbid bent, were fascinated by the idea of being able to communicate with departed loved ones. Though it was first brought to the market in 1890, the parlour game known as the Ouija board had been around for many years before [...]