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Costumes Collection
Our collection could be considered one of Australia's most valuable costume collections. More than 300 outfits dating back to 1838, now sorted, reveal diverse range of styles and designs spanning 140 years. Costumes are now on conservation hangars and stored in four large costume wardrobes, which were obtained from the Performing Arts Museum of Melbourne.
We are still in the early stages of cataloguing the collection because our main thrust up to date has been conservation and some restoration.
Annie McLean's dress
Kriss Hall
This grey/blue striped outfit consists of a Bodice with Pagoda style sleeves, a *peplum waist with a full skirt, worn with crinoline. The round neck with blue buttons and blue decorations are typical of a dress of the mid 1800's when Queen Victoria reigned.
A note, part of which is missing, was pinned to the dress. We do not know who wrote it, and it tells us the following:
The Dress belonged to Annie Elizabeth McLean, born in Argyllshire in 1854. She was educated there and arrived in The Colony of Victoria with her aunts and cousins in 1867 aged thirteen, and became maid and companion to the daughters of Samuel Renwick of Brighton.
The Renwicks must have been fond of her for when they went to England for a time Annie accompanied them. On returning to Brighton she stayed with the family until the youngest Renwick girl married. Annie then went to the household of Sir William and Lady McCullough. And from this establishment she eventually left to marry in 1878.
The dress illustrated, which is part of the historical society's collection, will be on display in our rooms, with others until late July.
* Peplum - A short flounce etc. at waist level especially of a blouse or jacket over a skirt (Oxford Dictionary)
Recently
our Conservator, Jacki Mitchell, undertook the task of assessing our hat
collection. It turned out to be a fairly big job as there was cleaning,
repairs and a lot of reblocking to be done.
The work is now almost complete, with only 2 hats left to be seen to. One of these is an absolute treasure from around 1950, made from fine strawcloth and completely covered with pheasant feathers. The other is a watermelon coloured felt from around the same time and is a very sweet, head-hugging design typical of the 'small head', so much in fashion then as part of Christian Dior's post war 'New Look'.
Jacki's house was in complete chaos for quite a while as she does her conservation tasks in her workroom at home. Because the Society has over 100 hats in the collection, it was a big job. Jacki is pleased to report that all the hats, bar the two previously mentioned, are now back in the Society's Rooms, waiting some proper storage. This will be an even bigger challenge because hat storage is difficult and space consuming. Be assured that every effort will be made to look after these renewed and restored treasures.
- Top: Restored Hats back in rooms
- Immediately above : Hat chaos at Jacki's house.
Society
Collections:
ABN 40 688 354 961