100 Years of Design
May 17, 2008 - January 4, 2009
Fashions, furniture and decorative arts from the 1830s to the 1930s–all from the Center for History’s heralded collections--offer a glimpse of a century of history in 100 Years of Design, on view May 17, 2008 through January 4, 2009. Visitors can learn about “polite society,” a culture in which fashions of the day were found in homes designed by leading American architects. They will find themselves transported to an era where the elite donned top hats and tails, and designer gowns and furs to attend gala events at places like South Bend’s Oliver Opera House.
The exhibit also explores the area’s success as a manufacturing complex in the Midwest during the Industrial Revolution, which gave many families the buying power to be active in international society. Visitors can learn of the technical evolution in such areas as lighting and heating in the home and factory, which document the community’s progress from farm to factory.
The decades chronicled in the exhibit include the period leading up to the Civil War, the Victorian Era, the Gay Nineties, the Edwardian Age, the Roaring Twenties and the Art Deco Period. Visitors will enjoy breathtakingly beautiful scenes that include a Tiffany lamp, silver tea service, oriental rugs and striking portraits of those who wore the fashions shown.
Several scenes represent the Victorian Age, including an 1869 gown worn by Ellen Wade, the second wife of Schuyler Colfax, to the inauguration of her husband as Vice President to Ulysses S. Grant. The gown of velvet and lace features an ornate pattern of jet and crystal beading. Also on view in the exhibit is the chair used by Schuyler Colfax when he served as Speaker of the House in the Abraham Lincoln administration.
A circa 1895 gown worn by Maude Coquillard is set in front of an early Coquillard family buffet. The trousseau gown of watered silk fabric was the Grand Tour purchase of Maude Perley Coquillard during her European honeymoon with Alexis Coquillard, a nephew of the co-founder of South Bend. The gown, which has a Paris label, features a scroll design in flocked black velvet and wide lapels covered with tiny embroidered flowers and rhinestones. Maude was a prominent social and philanthropic figure in the South Bend community.
Apparel worn by youngsters is also on view in the exhibit. An 1895 dressmaker-produced shimmering silk-faille dress in royal blue, accented with pale blue velvet ribbons and rosettes is shown. The elegance of adult clothing was replicated in children’s wear.
The Edwardian Period is another era showcased in 100 Years of Design. A 1914 vibrant pink velvet “hobble skirt,” worn by Bessie Kilmer is an elegant example of the type of gown worn by local residents to the theatre. A front slit allowed walking in this uncomfortable style that lasted only for one year. Currently being restored, the gown is a showpiece in the Center for History’s costume collection.
Long evening gowns such as a 1939 white satin exemplifies the “movie star” look popular following the Roaring Twenties. Multiple spaghetti straps are captured with a large rhinestone pin. Buttons lead to a deep inverted pleat cascading to the floor in a slight train.
Admission to the Center for History is free for members, $8 for adults, $6.50 for seniors, $5 for youth 6-17, and free for 5 and under. For information, call (574) 235-9664.
