Three of my regency reproduction gowns on display in the historic c.1793 Gore Place carriage house.
I’m super excited about today’s #CoBloWriMo prompt of Current Project for Day Two!! (And while it doesn’t exactly include tassels – yet – it will likely have some by the time I’m done.) So what am I working on these days? A costume exhibit at Gore Place, currently planned for display during their Fall Festival on September 23rd and then to be updated and re-displayed through the end of the year. This has actually been in the works for some time and I had the opportunity to display a few of my gowns and accessories during their Mother’s Day Tea, held in the Carriage House earlier this year.
For those not familiar with Gore Place, it’s a gorgeous federal mansion seated on fifty acres of beautiful (and walkable) grounds in Waltham, Massachusetts, just outside the bustling downtown area. Built for Governor Christopher and Rebecca Gore and completed in 1806, it has been painstakingly cared for and restored and is now operated as non-profit museum with wonderful events, farm programs, indoor tours, and outdoor activities. It’s one of my all-time favorite historic houses, can you tell?
For a number of years, a group of costume-minded friends have been attending their Holiday Tea held inside the mansion shortly before Christmas. I have to give a shout out to the fabulous J.L. for my initial invite some years ago! Here’s our merry band from this past December:
And a very merry bunch were we! How can you not enjoy hanging out in a room with peacock wallpaper?
So… back to the project at hand and the upcoming exhibit! It’s still in the planning stages but I had a great meeting and walk-through earlier today and my head is filled with all sorts of ideas. Current plans are for a scaled down version of the display to be shown in a limited number of rooms on the first floor during the Fall Festival as a way to entice visitors to take a self-guided walk through the house. Once the Festival has ended, we’ll be adding to the display and moving dressed mannequins into more rooms of the house on both the first and second floor. There’s also the potential for my reproduction work to be displayed along side or in combination with original pieces from Gore Place and that’s about as exciting as things get for this costuming-loving and exhibit-dreaming girl!
As I get back in the blogging habit, more details will be making their appearance. And yes, the tasseled parasol will likely be included in the exhibit… and if it’s not, then other tasseled pieces will surely take its place!
P.S. Anyone in eastern Mass area that is free on September 23rd and wants to come hang out (in regency dress or modern) during the Fall Festival, I’d love to see you there! Live music, craft beer, games, and a pumpkin drop… what’s not to love? Tickets go on sale August 23rd
The Mantua Maker at Midnight 