by Donna Klein Redfern - from John to Charles Three years before John Redfern's death in 1895, his sons took over the the company and changed the name to Redfern Ltd. This seamless transition allowed the fashion house to move forward, mostly through the creative thinking of his son, Charles Poynter Redfern (1853 [...]
by Donna Klein At the beginning of World War I, women were still wearing hobble skirts, which allowed for very little freedom of movement. But, as women took to the workforce to fill the void of the men who were off fighting the war, it became evident that the style of the day was [...]
by Donna Klein Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of My Fair Lady It's an exciting time for the Rogers City (Michigan) Community Theatre (RCCT). I've been involved with RCCT for more nine years as an actor, director, and techie. The Lerner and Loewe musical, My Fair Lady came up every year as the group [...]
By Donna Klein Thanksgiving During the Gilded Age Thanksgiving is here! As I thought about the holiday, I wondered what it was like during the glory years of the characters on Downton Abbey. I know the British don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but what was it like for their American counterparts? What was Thanksgiving like [...]
by Donna Klein continued from part 1 ... The Suffragette Gets Radical By 1903, the women’s suffrage movement saw a lot of talk but little action in Parliament. She left the ILP, and in October helped found the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), which was only open to women and focused on direct action [...]
Who was Emmeline Pankhurst? I recently saw a trailer for a new movie called "Suffragette," in which Meryl Streep portrays Emmeline Pankhurst, a political activist who championed women’s rights in Britain during the late 19th and early 20th century. I decided to find out more about this historical figure and found Emmeline Pankhurst’s story to be [...]
Recollections Fashion Show Recap The Lake Huron Discovery Tour 2015 has come and gone, but the Recollections fashion show at the Centennial Building in Alpena continues to live in the memories of those who joined us on October 10 for the festivities. The day started early for Recollections, with the models from the show prepped [...]
Halloween is Just a Hop-Skip-and-a-Jump Away! Yes, the calendar just flipped from August to September, and the thermometer is still registering summer temperatures. But, make no mistake, it's almost heeeeeerrrrre! It's time to start thinking about autumn and one of its highlights - Halloween. Themed parties, no theme parties, and everything in between [...]
By Sue McDonald Costume College - Whirlwind of Classes and Special Events If you haven’t heard about Costume College, then you haven’t been paying attention! After hearing about it for years, a friend convinced me to enroll last year, and I am now positively addicted to the excitement, the many opportunities for learning [...]