The Connecticut Historical Society has been collecting costume and textile items since the 1840s. With all of those wonderful objects floating around it is hard to solve all of their mysteries. One particular mystery has intrigued me since I started here, and I thought I would share it with all of you….
Last week Rich Malley posted about the Billings and Spencer Company complex in Hartford. He illustrated his post with an amazing watercolor done in 1898 by Hiram P. Arms, a Hartford-based illustrator. When I first saw the painting, which is quite large, I was intrigued by all of the little vignettes Arms included, as Rich pointed out, to suggest the residential nature of the neighborhood in which the complex stood. I thought it would be fun to explore a few of those small scenes this week.
I had an idea of something to blog about today…but then I changed my mind. Instead, I thought I would share something with you all (y’all if I was writing this from back in Illinois!). So many times professionals, regardless of their field, give off an air of confidence, knowledge, and authority. As they should. But, that doesn’t mean that we don’t get a little nervous when we have to step out of our comfort zones and try something new…
Dress. 1770-1795. CHS Collection. 1956.45.62.
The anticipation has been building for weeks. All of us here at CHS have been excited to bring Katharine Hepburn home to Hartford in the form of an exhibition on loan from the Kent State University Museum called “Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen.” Well…on Thursday of last week she finally arrived and the better part of three days has been spent unpacking, dressing, hanging, and generally preparing the exhibit to open to the public tomorrow.
Even if you are not a fashion historian, you have likely seen images of the clothing people wore in the past. Whether you saw them online, or in your own family photos, the outer garments of individuals are fairly visible. But what about what lies underneath? What does that look like???
Dress. About 1836-1840. Gift of Annetta Eddy Brigham. 2001.49.9.
Today is a snow day…and who does not love snow days?!? Each time we get a snow storm that is nasty enough to close the CHS, I feel like a kid again (albeit a kid who has to shovel out a car and get some semblance of actual work done at home regardless of the snow day…like writing this blog post). This afternoon I was spending a few moments working in my sewing room and looked over to see one of my favorite items from my childhood and realized that she would make a perfect snow-day blog post…well her and her great-great-grandmother…
Dolly and Veda’s doll.
It is time to unveil the 2014 line up of Behind-the-Scenes Tours. We’re offering even more access to the hidden treasures of Connecticut history that are normally behind closed doors, and with the option of buying a Season Pass, you can get that sneak peek at a great 20% discount!
In a nation where the focus is being put on the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM for short), many of us in the fields of humanities are beginning to question our relevance. With an education that included four years at a liberal arts college, I am definitely among those who hope to keep our history relevant in times of shifting focus. So…let’s talk about history and STEM…
Camera.1956. Gift of Mrs. Frieda B. Cantarow. 2001.88.1.
The weather is having a bit of a fit this week…it can’t quite decide if it is winter or fall. Either way, the air is getting chillier and people are looking to get warmer. Now-a-days we hop in the car and head to the nearest mall, specialty shop, or big-box store to find our cold weather gear, but there was a time when shopping for winter was an event. An event that often took place at G. Fox and Company Department Store in downtown Hartford.
Exterior view of G. Fox Department store, 956-986 Main Street. 1918. x.2000.9.19
Clothing is one of the basic necessities provided by the American government to its faithful soldiers. Even as a patriot army before the United States was truly a nation in her own right, she still did her best to clothe her troops. One of my favorite uniform pieces in the CHS collection is a uniform coat worn by Captain Thomas MacDonough during his service to our country in the War of 1812.
inside the CHS 