“Hoops, Hats, and High Fashion” of the 1860’s will be the program at Brockport’s Morgan-Manning House on Thursday, November 10. The event starts at 7 p.m. at the 151 Main Street Victorian Era home followed by refreshments.
It marks the second in this season’s series that focuses on the Morgan-Manning House or events and trends during the time the Morgan family lived there. Sponsored by the Western Monroe Historical Society, it is free and open to the public.
Laura Dumuhosky, senior library assistant at Drake Library, will speak about clothing styles in the second half of the 19th century. Mannequins will display select pieces from two storage rooms in the historic home.
The natural fiber fabrics of the Victorian Era have weakened with age and would not hold up well on live models, explains show organizer Mary Lynne Turner. She adds, “You could say our models are ‘frozen in time.’” The show will include a Grover & Baker sewing machine, circa 1863.
The work of sorting, identifying, cataloging and preserving the Historical Society’s collection of clothing has gone on for years. The November 10 show presents some fruit of the continuing project.
A student intern from The College at Brockport, Alexandra Mills, donates two days per week reading 50 years of typed and handwritten file cards, tags and pages of donation descriptions and matching those to the items. “Every day we have a few more fabulous discoveries and matches,” Turner said.
The WMHS members involved in the project of sorting and identifying the collection are Peggy Fox, chair of the curatorial committee, Kathy Goetz, Chris Mazzarella, Deanna Shifton, Amy Harris, Eileen Ryerse, all members of the curatorial committee, and Alicia Fink, Historian.
Provided information
