
There’s at least another month of cold weather ahead in the Northern Hemisphere, and if you are like me, you are getting a bit (or a lot) antsy. I’m here to help with a few diversions in the form of fashion and textile themed lectures and presentations. It’s amazing how many museums, organizations, historical societies, and just interesting people have stepped up with online content during the pandemic.
I took the photo of the sampler above three years ago at MESDA – Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts. I was delighted to see an analysis of the work on the Decorative Arts Trust Youtube channel. And check out the other videos from the Decorative Arts Trust. I’m working my way through them, and all I’ve viewed so far have been excellent.
A site that was new to me is American Ancestors by the New England Historic Genealogical Society. I was alerted to a live program called Dress Codes, which is about laws that have determined how people have dressed. The presenter, Richard Thompson Ford, has written a book on the topic and he has been a guest of several institutions and their programing. There are several other programs that sound interesting, including one on samplers and one on collecting.
Most of the videos on Kent State University Museum’s Youtube are short teasers of their past exhibitions. But there’s an indepth look at their current show, Stitched: Regional Dress Across Europe.
The National Arts Club has so much great content that it’s hard to pick one to highlight. But not to be missed is an interview with Mary Wilson of the Supremes about the group’s stage costumes. So poignant since Mary died soon after the interview.
And if you need even more, check out the Museum at FIT, the Costume Society of America, and FIDM, especially their collections conversations.
My last recommendation is a movie on Netflix, The Dig. Watch the trailer.
Feel free to add your own list of diversions.