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GCV buys historic clothing collection from Susan Greene

17 May '10
5 min read

Most of the items in the collection were acquired or have a history in Upstate New York or New England, including an unusual number of items belonging to Quakers.

The Greene collection comes complete with its own storage containers, as well as an illustrated, searchable database, an advantage to any researcher. Most items will remain in storage until renovation of the Wehle gallery is complete. Meanwhile, the gallery will be closed this season as the work progresses.

A number of the pieces, however, will be on display on June 26, during the museum's War of 1812 in the Genesee Country event. Parts of the collection will also be the focus of several workshops at the Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM) regional conference at the museum next March. A larger exhibit will be mounted after the Wehle gallery reopens.

There are 2,214 items, dating from the mid-17th century to 1915. Among the very earliest are lace edgings that date to 1650.

The collection includes: belts, buckles and jewelry; coats, vests, waistcoats, shawls, capes and caplets; chemises and shirts; aprons, pinafores and bibs; drawers; dresses; fans, gloves and mitts; hats, hoods and caps; kerchiefs, cravats and scarves; collars, hoops, bustles, petticoats and underskirts; pants; suits; parasols, purses and pockets; stockings; banyans, tea dresses, night shirts and dressing gowns; swimwear; shoes and booties; buttons, ribbons and lace.

The collection is nationally recognized by the historic clothing and textile community with elements of it having been exhibited at various museums across the country. It has also been featured in several costume books and used for the production of patterns for historical reproduction clothing by various pattern makers. The collection will remain available to museums, researchers and pattern and reproduction clothing makers in the future.

Greene is the owner of American Costume Studies in Alfred Station (Allegany County), a collections management consultant and the author of Textiles for Early Victorian Clothing, 1800-1855. In 2011 she is expected to publish a book on historic textiles that will feature the museum's new collection.

Genesee Country Village & Museum

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