FIDM Museum Blog

Top five posts of 2011--“The Art of Dressing Has Never Been Manifested with So Much Brilliancy”: Fashion and the Paris Exposition of 1900

 

 

The most popular post of 2011 is truly deserving of this honor! Associate Curator Christina Johnson's investigation into a a 1900 gown in our collection and its relationship to the Paris Exposition of 1900 is a joy to read.

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Did you know that working at a museum requires ace detective skills? In this blog post, Associate Curator Christina Johnson describes her research on a evening gown in our collection. This research, aka sleuthing, led to a wealth of knowledge about the gown itself, its wearer and the context in which it was created.

Evening gown
1900
2005.842.22
Gift of Madge Baker
FIDM Museum Collection

My research began with the evening gown you see above, donated to the FIDM Museum in 2005. The gown is part of a collection of about 25 garments and accessories dating from the 1890s to the 1940s worn by Ida Irwin Jones and her daughter Katharine. The items were donated by Katharine’s daughter, Madge Baker. The original wearer of this evening gown must have been Ida who would have been about 28 years old at the time.

Top five posts of 2011--Louella Ballerino crop top, 1946

 

First published in July 2011, the second most popular post of 2011 describes how a serendipitous find dramatically altered our understanding of a midriff-baring 1940s crop top in our collection.

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In 2003, a black and coral crop top was donated to the FIDM Museum. The top is of coral silk, with black silk appliques in a stylized floral pattern. Accompanying the donation was a snapshot of the donor actually wearing the top. We love this kind of supporting documentation! Here's the photo, taken someplace in southern California and dated 1946.

Photo of donor in the coral and black crop top
1946
Gift of Patricia Marks

During the mid 1940s, the crop top, or midriff top, was widely popular. Exposed midriffs were seen in swimsuits, playsuits and even evening gowns. A Jan 1946 fashion spread in the New York Times highlighted full-length evening gowns with exposed midriffs and cut-out backs. The accompanying copy reads, "Fashion is baring the midriff this season not only for sports wear, but for evening."¹ As the photo above documents, the bare midriff was more than a trend promoted by the fashion press; it was also adopted by the woman in the street.

Johann Hummel court suit, c. 1810-14

 

Since our FABULOUS! exhibition opened in September, we've featured selected exhibition highlights on our blog. As FABULOUS! closes tomorrow, this post will be our final installment in the series. Want to revisit favorite pieces from the exhibition? Click here for a complete listing of FABULOUS! blog posts.

This final FABULOUS! post features a stunning early 19th century court suit with a fascinating provenance. Consisting of a jacket and breeches of aubergine silk velvet decorated with silk and metallic embroidery and a cream silk faille vest, this court suit would be a highlight of our collection with or without a known provenance. But its excellent condition and documented provenance make it even more historically important. Created late in the reign of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (r. 1804-1814/15) by handloom weavers and master embroiders, its uncut voided velvet with gold, silver, rhinestone, and sequin decoration is truly regal. It was donated to the FIDM Museum in 2008 by the family of Johann Hummel's great-great grandson, Michael Hummel. We featured a glimpse of this court suit on our blog in 2009, a few months after it was donated.

Court suit
Uncut voided silk velvet, silk faille, silk embroidery floss, gold & silver embroidery purl & frieze, rhinestone & metal sequins
c. 1810-14
Paris, France
Gift of Yvonne Hummel
2008.947.2A-C

“The Art of Dressing Has Never Been Manifested with So Much Brilliancy”: Fashion and the Paris Exposition of 1900

 

Did you know that working at a museum requires ace detective skills? In this blog post, Associate Curator Christina Johnson describes her research on a evening gown in our collection. This research, aka sleuthing, led to a wealth of knowledge about the gown itself, its wearer and the context in which it was created.

Evening gown
1900
2005.842.22
Gift of Madge Baker
FIDM Museum Collection

My research began with the evening gown you see above, donated to the FIDM Museum in 2005. The gown is part of a collection of about 25 garments and accessories dating from the 1890s to the 1940s worn by Ida Irwin Jones and her daughter Katharine. The items were donated by Katharine’s daughter, Madge Baker. The original wearer of this evening gown must have been Ida who would have been about 28 years old at the time.

Dress form, mannequin or floating form?

Regular readers of this blog have probably noticed the variety of forms we use to display objects from the FIDM Museum collection. When we photograph an object for in-house documentary purposes, it's usually dressed on a headless dress form or mannequin. For exhibition and/or publication, we go all out, pairing garments with contemporaneous accessories (shoes, hat, jewelry, etc.) in an effort to present the garment as it might have been seen in its own era. The paper wigs worn by some of our mannequins are another aspect of this contextualization. More recently, we've used floating forms to display garments during exhibitions. The decision regarding which type of display to utilize is the result of a complicated equation involving time, resources, space, staff, garment condition and intended usage of the final image or dressed mannequin.

Donors make the museum

Do you wonder how the FIDM Museum is able to acquire so many fabulous objects? Two words: generous donors. Most donations take one of two forms: dress and textile objects or financial contributions. Objects, if they are in good condition and fit the scope of our collection, are accessioned into the FIDM Museum collection. Financial contributions allow us to purchase objects that enhance our collection. Both types of donations are greatly appreciated and contribute to the breadth and depth of our holdings. We are currently engaged in an exciting campaign to raise funds for the acquisition of a very special collection.

Here’s more information about this project from our curator, Kevin Jones.

The FIDM Museum at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is excited to announce a once-in-a-lifetime fundraising opportunity to purchase a major collection of historically important women’s, men’s, and children’s fashions, dating from 1600 to 1950. Among the notable objects are garments associated with Queens Caroline, Victoria, Alexandra, and Mary of England; Czarina Marie of Russia; and Empress Eugénie of France. Major haute couture  designers include: Worth, Doucet, Pingat, Fortuny, Poiret, Vionnet, and Chanel.

Gathered over a fifty-year period by well-known, Los Angeles-based historian Helen Larson, this collection helped to establish the academic study of fashion history. It was formed at the same time as the Doris Langley Moore Collection in Bath, England, and the Elizabeth Day McCormick Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. This is the last collection of its kind still in private hands, and would be   nearly impossible to duplicate in depth and breadth of objects. The acquisition of the approximately 1,000-piece Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection will launch the FIDM Museum into the international realm of European fashion studies, particularly royal history.

Worth & Bobergh Day Dress
c. 1865
Silk Satin
Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection

The FIDM Museum was established in 1978 to provide a research facility of garments, accessories, and visual materials for students, researchers, designers, and the public. Currently, the Museum’s collections span 200 years, from 1800 to the present. The Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection will increase the time-span of study to 400 years.
Formal Gown & Shawl
c. 1800
Embroidered Cotton Mull
Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection

Your help is greatly needed to raise funds to acquire this stellar collection during our four-year campaign. We are asking for fully tax-deductible pledges of $250 or more. Individuals, groups, and businesses who donate $2,500 or more will be perpetually connected to the Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection, and become a Friend of Fashion at the FIDM Museum, our new support group.
Court Skirt & Train associated with Queen Marie Antoinette of France
c. 1775
Silk Brocade & Embroidery
Helen Larson Historic Fashion Collection

For more information, please contact curator Kevin Jones: 213.623.5821 x3367, or kjones@FIDMmuseum.org

The FIDM Museum Foundation is a California non-profit 501(c)3.

Day ensemble, 1894-1895

In 2006, the FIDM Museum received a large donation of garments and accessories spanning almost 100 years of fashion history. With garments dating from about 1850 to the late 1940s, the objects in this donation provide a window into the evolution of fashionable dress during this period of dramatic change. Moreover, the garments and accessories provide a glimpse into the history of a particular family, as all of the items in the donation were worn by ancestors of the donors. The donor family has roots in the mid-west, with specific connections to St. Louis and Indianapolis. The Indianapolis connection is clearly demonstrated by the interior label inside the skirt of this day ensemble, which reads, "Boyd & Jones, Indianapolis, Ind".

Two-piece day ensemble
1894-1895
Gift of the Manlove Family
2006.870.19AB

High Style: Betsy Bloomingdale and the Haute Couture video!

For those of you who asked for more video after watching The Couture Process, you are in luck today! The FIDM Video Gallery, where you will find various FIDM related videos, currently features a short segment titled "Opening Party: Betsy Bloomingdale Exhibition." The video features footage of the exhibition opening along with a short section of the documentary featured in High Style: Betsy Bloomingdale and the Haute Couture.

Copies of the catalog are still available, so if you'd like a copy, visit the FIDM Museum Shop. The catalog features beautiful images, including this image of a 1962 James Galanos day suit.

Day Suit
James Galanos for Amelia Gray
1962
77.116.10A-D
Button detail 77.116.10A-D

The Couture Process

Our current exhibition, High Style: Betsy Bloomingdale and the Haute Couture, explores the world of haute couture through the experiences of Betsy Bloomingdale. To complement the ensembles on exhibition, FIDM Productions created a video documentary featuring extensive interview footage with Mrs. Bloomingdale. The documentary also features interviews with designers, including Marc Bohan, James Galanos, Hubert de Givenchy and others. Though we hope that all of you will have the opportunity to visit the exhibition, for those of you who live too far away, we're posting a section of the documentary today. The Couture Process focuses on the actual process of viewing and purchasing haute couture. The video is about 10 minutes long. Enjoy!

The Couture Process from FIDM Museum on Vimeo.

Preserving the Ann Getty Fashion Collection

Behind every great museum is a great library. The FIDM Museum is fortunate to have access to the FIDM Library, which houses a great collection of design oriented books. Today's post focuses on a preservation project completed by Rachel Clarke, FIDM Library Catalog Coordinator. It is a shorter version of an article published in the Spring/Summer 2009 issue of the American Archivist. Congratulations Rachel!