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This blog is about Vassar College's Trying on History project - but for now, it mostly follows one dress.
Yes, one dress. What can it tell us? What can we learn from it?
With a team of students, I have studied this dress down to the tiniest detail. We have measured it, drawn it, photographed it. We have patterned it. We are reproducing it. We are reproducing the corset that would have been worn under it. We are researching it, and its context. Who wore it? Why? Who made it? Why? How? (take a look at our full list of questions)
Yes, it's just one dress, but from it we're learning about New York City in the 1910's - and both the students who help to build the reproduction and the students who get to wear the reproduction will be able to step back in time.
To begin, you can start with some Highlights, or just browse around!
-Arden Kirkland
Vassar College Costume Collection (VCCC)
Vassar College Drama Department
Showing posts with label overview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label overview. Show all posts
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Sunday, July 27, 2008
How to use this blog
The nature of blogs is that it is easiest to navigate through blog posts in reverse chronological order. However, here you have some other options:
-To view all the posts in order, start at the "Welcome" post, then click on "newer post" after reading each one.
-To view my favorite highlighted posts, select "Highlights" from the top left sidebar (or from the label choices); scroll down to the bottom and then work your way up if you want to read in chronological order
-Or use the "Label" list as an index to go right to the sections that interest you most.
-Or use the "Search" box to search for other words
If you would like to add any questions, or help propose some answers, please use the comment feature to do so!
With most images on these pages, you can click on the image to see it larger in Picasa or Flickr, or click on the title below to see the whole "album" of photos it comes from. Just use your "back" button in your browser to get back here when you're done.
For most slideshows (made in Picasa), use your mouse to roll over the bottom of the slideshow viewer so that you can stop the slides and move forward or backward through them at your own pace. Also you can view the photos and slideshow in our Picasa Web Album if you click here.
Other slideshows are made in Flickr. To view one, click on the arrow (play button) for it to start playing. You can also click on the icon in the bottom right hand corner for a fullscreen view - and then, to get out of it, press the "esc" key. Within the viewer, use the arrows, pause button, and lightbox at the bottom to navigate through the images.
If you have any problems viewing this blog, please either leave a comment to reply to this post, or email me.
-To view all the posts in order, start at the "Welcome" post, then click on "newer post" after reading each one.
-To view my favorite highlighted posts, select "Highlights" from the top left sidebar (or from the label choices); scroll down to the bottom and then work your way up if you want to read in chronological order
-Or use the "Label" list as an index to go right to the sections that interest you most.
-Or use the "Search" box to search for other words
If you would like to add any questions, or help propose some answers, please use the comment feature to do so!
With most images on these pages, you can click on the image to see it larger in Picasa or Flickr, or click on the title below to see the whole "album" of photos it comes from. Just use your "back" button in your browser to get back here when you're done.
For most slideshows (made in Picasa), use your mouse to roll over the bottom of the slideshow viewer so that you can stop the slides and move forward or backward through them at your own pace. Also you can view the photos and slideshow in our Picasa Web Album if you click here.
Other slideshows are made in Flickr. To view one, click on the arrow (play button) for it to start playing. You can also click on the icon in the bottom right hand corner for a fullscreen view - and then, to get out of it, press the "esc" key. Within the viewer, use the arrows, pause button, and lightbox at the bottom to navigate through the images.
If you have any problems viewing this blog, please either leave a comment to reply to this post, or email me.
Welcome to the Vassar College Costume Collection's "Trying on History" Project!
This blog will chronicle our "Trying on History" project, and all our related work.
A visit to the Vassar College Costume Collection (VCCC) provides an exciting way for students to have a hands-on experience of history, not only through the ability to view a variety of clothing objects from different historic periods, but also through the kinetic experience of trying on reproductions of such clothing.
In recent years, many different groups, both Vassar classes and community groups, have made field trips to visit the VCCC. The focus for such visits is on the changing shape of fashion, and students are shown full garments on mannequins along with some of the actual bustles, hoops, and other undergarments that accompanied each change in shape. The historic objects are far too fragile to be tried on, but students are able to try on a selection of theatrical costume reproductions, especially corsets, hoops, bustles, and petticoats and the daywear that would be worn with them.
We have recently received funding from the Carolyn Grant '36 Endowment at Vassar for a new phase of this project: to provide for the construction of new reproduction garments to fit a wider range of sizes. This will also create an opportunity to create a stronger connection between the reproductions and the historic objects by reproducing objects from the collection, creating copies that are true to the original in all aspects except size, and can be experienced in motion.
Not only will these reproductions be tried on by physical visitors to the collection for years to come, but they will also be shared with virtual visitors to our eventual website. For now, this blog will serve as our link to the public. Here you will find information about our research, conservation, and construction techniques, and see some footage from our classroom visits. Enjoy your visit, and please share your comments!
A visit to the Vassar College Costume Collection (VCCC) provides an exciting way for students to have a hands-on experience of history, not only through the ability to view a variety of clothing objects from different historic periods, but also through the kinetic experience of trying on reproductions of such clothing.
In recent years, many different groups, both Vassar classes and community groups, have made field trips to visit the VCCC. The focus for such visits is on the changing shape of fashion, and students are shown full garments on mannequins along with some of the actual bustles, hoops, and other undergarments that accompanied each change in shape. The historic objects are far too fragile to be tried on, but students are able to try on a selection of theatrical costume reproductions, especially corsets, hoops, bustles, and petticoats and the daywear that would be worn with them.
We have recently received funding from the Carolyn Grant '36 Endowment at Vassar for a new phase of this project: to provide for the construction of new reproduction garments to fit a wider range of sizes. This will also create an opportunity to create a stronger connection between the reproductions and the historic objects by reproducing objects from the collection, creating copies that are true to the original in all aspects except size, and can be experienced in motion.
Not only will these reproductions be tried on by physical visitors to the collection for years to come, but they will also be shared with virtual visitors to our eventual website. For now, this blog will serve as our link to the public. Here you will find information about our research, conservation, and construction techniques, and see some footage from our classroom visits. Enjoy your visit, and please share your comments!
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