Historic Fashion on Display

by Erin Doane, Curator

Historic textiles are one of the more fragile types of objects to put on display in museums. Special care is needed to support delicate fabrics when they are on exhibit.  I love historic clothing and believe that it is meant to be seen.  Textiles should certainly be kept and preserved by museums for future generations but I also think it is pointless to just pack them away, out of sight forever.  People need to see historic items to appreciate them and want to protect them.  There needs to be a balance between preservation and making these wonderful items available to the public.

Cotton day dress (1880s-1890s), porter’s uniform (1890s), 

suit with morning jacket (1890s), child’s dress (1880s)

Recently, the Arnot Art Museum borrowed some historic clothing from us for an exhibit commemorating its 100^th anniversary.  CCHS archivist Rachel Dworkin and I went to the art museum to help them dress the mannequins. The process is fairly simple, but very important to ensure that the clothing is not damaged while on display.  As preparation before going to the museum, we took our standard mannequins and used batting to pad out the forms to the size needed for the clothing.  This ensures that the weight of the clothing is evenly disturbed and there is no undue stress on any part of the garment.  The rest of the actual dressing of the mannequins took place onsite.

Normally a Victorian lady would wear at least six undergarments including a corset to get the right silhouette for her dress (you can read our post from September 24, 2012 for details about the undergarments) but most of those foundation garments are unnecessary on a mannequin.  We did use one petticoat to help shape and support the skirt.  The skirt of the gorgeous late-1880’s two piece dress is rather complicated with draping, lace and interior ties.  It is also somewhat heavy with its train and took two people to carefully set into place on the mannequin.

Padded mannequin --- Mannequin with petticoat --- Mannequin with skirt

Once the skirt was set, the bodice of the dress was placed on the mannequin.  Most museum objects should be handled while wearing white cotton gloves to protect them from damage.  In this case, clean hands are more appropriate because the gloves can actually cause damage by catching on hooks or trim.  Additional batting was added to the shoulders for support then the lace collar and velvet tie were arranged.  Because of the way it had been stored and the type of fabric, this particular dress had very few wrinkles.  We did give the lace and train a light steaming to ease what wrinkles there were.  Steaming, not ironing, is the best way to smooth historic garments.  You must be cautious, however, as some silks are very prone to water damage and should never be steamed.  After finishing the first dress we repeated these steps with the remaining four garments.  The entire process of getting five mannequins properly dressed took just about two hours.  

Adding the bodice                       Finishing touches

 

That's Entertainment!

by Erin Doane, Curator

Just this past Saturday we held the exhibit opening for That’s Entertainment: the Arts in Chemung County, 1880-1920 here at the Chemung Valley History Museum.  The exhibit, funded by the New York Council for the Humanities, will be on display from now through August.  The arts were an integral part of everyday life in Chemung County around the turn of the century.  Whether it was books read at home or a play at the Opera House, the arts were an important form of entertainment.  No matter one’s economic status people had access to the arts through clubs, public performances and Elmira’s first museum, the Arnot Art Gallery.   In addition to experiencing the arts, locals created their own art through painting, writing and other creative outlets.

the new exhibit

When people think of the arts, many immediately think of paintings and galleries.  According to the city directories, 64 artists lived in Chemung County between 1880 and 1920.  A majority of the artists were women.   Frances Farrar, for instance, painted lantern slides while Elizabeth Banks painted and ran an art supply store.   The three most widely remembered artists are cartoonist Eugene “Zim” Zimmerman (1862-1935) and painters Lars Hoftrup (1874-1954) George Waters (1832-1912).

George Waters in his studio

The arts also include theatrical and musical performances. Elmira’s first theater, the Opera House (later the Lyceum) opened in 1867.  With tickets priced between 50 cents and a dollar, the theater was a regular social event for the wealthy and a special treat for the poor.  It offered operas, plays, lectures, concerts, vaudeville and later movies.  Around 1900, other, cheaper, movie houses began to appear.  At just 10 cents for admission, movies were entertainment for the masses.

 

the Lyceum Theatre

While galleries, concert halls and theaters offered arts to the public, many people also enjoyed the arts within their own homes.  Wealthy families, in particular, purchased paintings and sculptures to decorate their halls and parlors. People sang or played the piano.  They listened to symphonies on the phonograph and invited musicians into their homes for private recitals.  People also read the writings of the great authors and poets of the time.

Inside the Langdon home

Elmira's First Museum

by Rachel Dworkin, Archivist 

It may seem weird to be writing about another museum on our museum’s blog, today we’ll be giving the Arnot Art Museum some love.  This year marks the 100^th anniversary of the Arnot Art Museum, Elmira’s first museum.  In addition to this blog post, CCHS and the Arnot will be celebrating the anniversary with an eight-month joint exhibit on the history of the arts in Chemung County which will open on January 12^th here at CCHS as well as a series of monthly art programs.  

The story of the Arnot Art Museum starts with Matthias H. Arnot, the youngest son of wealthy area businessman and banker John Arnot.  Matthias went on to become a rather prosperous businessman in his own right as well as an avid art collector.  Upon his death in 1910, he willed his home, his art collection and his fortune to establish a museum to encourage the study and appreciation of art in Elmira. 

The house at 235 Lake Street had been built by his father John Arnot sometime in the 1840s as the Arnot family home and needed a lot of renovations before it would be suitable as a museum.  While they chose to keep the facade the same, the entire inside of the building was completely gutted to form gallery, office and storage spaces.  The museum finally opened for business on May 17, 1913 as the Arnot Art Gallery (the name changed later).  Within the first month nearly one-fifth of the city had visited with a total 27,000 visitors in the first year. 

Matthias Arnot’s personal art collection formed (and still forms) the backbone of the collection, but he established additional funds to purchase new art to enhance the collections and keep them relevant to changing tastes and trends.  He also established funds to help to teach art appreciation.  Within the first year, the Gallery was already working with schools to arrange field trips and other educational programming.  Today, educational program in museums is by and large considered essential, but at the time it was practically revolutionary.  The Arnot Art Museum continues to have educational programming today, including the Chemung River School in which it partners with us.

Resolve to Support Your Local History Museum in the New Year!

There are so many ways that you can help the Chemung Valley History Museum preserve and present history. 

Become a Member

Individual membership starts at only $35. As a member you will not only be supporting the Museum, you will also get free admission to the museum, a 10% discount in the gift shop, the Bank Notes newsletter and issues of the Chemung Historical Journal.

Make a Monetary Donation

Every little bit helps the Museum keep its doors open so that everyone can enjoy new exhibitions and programs.  And since the Museum is a nonprofit institution, your donation is tax deductible.

Donate Historic Objects, Photographs or Documents

The Museum is always collecting items directly related to the history of Chemung County.  Each new item adds greater value to the historic collections.

Volunteer Your Time

The Museum is a busy place with most of the action happening behind the scenes.  If you have some extra time in your day you could work with the Archivist or Curator to make the Museum’s collections more accessible.

Shop at the Museum’s Gift Shop

The gift shop is filled with books about local history including several on Mark Twain and the Civil War. Proceeds from the sales help support the Museum.

Visit the Museum

Things are always changing at the Museum so if you haven’t visited in a while you should stop by.  There will be five new exhibits opening in 2013 that cover such varied subjects as baseball, the Civil War, local businesses, and historic wedding and funeral customs.  That’s Entertainment: The Arts in Chemung County, 1880-1920 will be opening on Saturday, January 12^th.

Come to a Program or Event

Every month there is something new and exciting happening at the Museum.  There are lecture series in February and May, the Great Car Thing in June, the Ghost Walk in October and many other events throughout the year. 

Tell Your Family and Friends about the Museum

Spread the word!  The more people who know where the Museum is and what it does the better!

For more information visit the Museum’s website at www.chemungvalleymuseum.org