Northern Threads Exhibition Opens Eagerly Awaited Part II

On August 5, 2022August 5, 2022 By Maine Historical SocietyIn Collections, Maine Memory Network, MHS Programs, Museum Collections, Museum ExhibitLeave a comment

Following its successful and well-received Part I, NORTHERN THREADS: Two Centuries of Dress at Maine Historical Society opens Part II on Friday, August 12, 2022.

From flapper dresses to leisure suits, Maine Historical Society (MHS) presents clothing, vintage wear and fascinating stories of Maine people spanning late 19th and 20th centuries (1890 to 1980.) All-new vignettes include Turn-of-the-Century; Designer fashions; the Maine Outdoors; Women at Work and a World at War; Chemistry and Fashion; Bridal and Formalwear; and Silhouettes in Sequence.

New and returning visitors will encounter even more beautifully dressed mannequins, accessories and artifacts beyond those in Part I (which focused on 1790-1889 clothing). Trends, fibers, themes, and narratives will contextualize garments into distinct facets of 19^th and 20^th century Maine and American history. Many visitors will relive memories of parents, grandparents, high school, weddings and proms as they view a progression of styles that were once all the rage. Younger gallery guests attracted to retro and vintage clothing will find inspiration in the variety of surprising patterns, colors, and funky fashions.

***Powder blue rental tuxedo, circa 1975***

Central to MHS’ 200th anniversary, NORTHERN THREADS considers how the clothing Maine people have worn reveals the social, economic, and environmental history of our state. For example, the exhibition explores fabric production and accessibility, women’s independence, and the devastating impact of the fur industry.

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Virtual Access: Illuminating history though never-before-exhibited items from MHS’ permanent collection, NORTHERN THREADS also opens unprecedented online public access through the Maine Memory Network . A 3-D virtual tour and detailed digital exhibit (online August 31) increase accessibility 24/7 for those unable to visit the gallery in person, or for guests seeking to explore the MHS Historic Clothing, Costume and Dress Collection portal.

Public Programs: Most public programs are free and virtual, such as Black Fashion History in Maine: Examining the Clothing in Nineteenth-Century Photographs with Karin J. Bohleke on August 9.

Companion Exhibits: The following in-person mini-exhibits rotate within the MHS galleries. Check www.mainehistory.org for these exhibition dates, NORTHERN THREADS programming, and for updates on MHS’ 200^th anniversary activities and events.

Cosmopolitan Stylings of Mildred and Madeleine Burrage;
Representing every particular: John Martin’s 19th century fashion illustrations;
Fashion for the People: Maine Graphic Tees;
Wadsworth-Longfellow family historic clothing, 1780-1825 on view in the popular Wadsworth-Longfellow House during the peak summer season; and
Chansonetta Stanley Emmons: Staging the Past

How to see NORTHERN THREADS: Visit www.mainehistory.org/exhibits for details on tickets and admission to the MHS gallery on 489 Congress Street in Portland. Access for MHS members is free; general admission adults $10; children (6-17) $5, and under 6, free. Become a member before you book!

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Northern Threads is made possible by dedicated staff, contributors, partners, and donors, including:

BHA Foundation Fund

Margaret E. Burnham Charitable Trust

Elsie A. Brown Fund, Inc.

The Coby Foundation for Textiles, Ltd.

The Davis Family Foundation

Down East Magazine (Media Sponsor)

Institute of Museum & Library Services

William Sloane Jelin Foundation

The Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust

Karen and Kirk Pelletier

Deborah S. Reed

The Phineas W. Sprague Memorial Foundation

Doris S. Stockly

Maine Historical Society Celebrates 200 Years

On April 11, 2022April 11, 2022 By Maine Historical SocietyIn Maine History Maker Award, MHS Events, MHS Programs, Museum ExhibitLeave a comment

Celebrate with us! Visit www.mainehistory.org/mhs200 for updated events and news.

It’s not every day an organization reaches its 200^th birthday, let alone is entering its third century of service to the people of Maine. Yet, Maine Historical Society (MHS) is doing just that! On February 5, 1822, MHS was established as the third state historical society in the United States – two years after Maine became a state. Its founders consisted of civic leaders from across Maine, including first Governor William King and others who also spearheaded separation from Massachusetts.

Key to gaining Maine statehood in 1822, William King of Bath was Maine’s first governor. James Phinney Baxter, six-term mayor of Portland, was president of MHS from 1890-1921.

MHS’ mission is to preserve and share Maine’s story. Our vast collections provide critical insights into the political, socio-economic, and environmental dynamics of Maine. They include European settlement, interactions with Indigenous peoples, Maine’s role in the slave economy, land use, and items from early families, businesses, and governmental leaders. Whereas for much of its early life MHS could be perceived as an exclusionary and colonial-focused organization, over time, and especially since the 1960s, the world and MHS have markedly changed.

The Wadsworth-Longfellow House and Keith’s Theater, Congress Street, Portland, ca. 1908. Today, the MHS Library is next to the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, boyhood home of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Today, MHS is a major and vibrant thought leader in Maine history. In recent years, we have focused on building a modern organization that nimbly addresses ever-changing community needs. A main emphasis has been on developing programming and content that explores how history shapes Maine today, centering on the needs, interests, and passions of contemporary Mainers.

Our collaborative exhibitions and programs strive to recognize, study, recover, and amplify diverse voices and experiences of working people, Indigenous Nations, Black communities, ethnic minorities, women, and many others whose perspectives and histories had largely been ignored. Recent exhibits – 400 Years of New Mainers; Making Paper, Making Maine; Holding Up the Sky: Wabanaki People, Culture, History & Art; State of Mind: Becoming Maine; and Begin Again: reckoning with intolerance in Maine – provided the community with context, information, and a place to explore crucial contemporary issues.

Located in Portland’s cultural arts district, MHS is comprised of our Museum Gallery, Brown Research Library, Museum Store, world-famous Wadsworth-Longfellow House, and award-winning digital history platform, Maine Memory Network. Rooted in research, scholarship, and collections, we continually expand greater access to Maine history resources for all Maine people through these pathways.

2022 DYNAMIC PROGRAM YEAR SNAPSHOT

Exhibitions

Central to our 200^th birthday is the two-part Northern Threads: Two Centuries of Dress at Maine Historical Society. This beautiful, two-part exhibition in our main gallery brings historic clothing to life, illustrates key themes in Maine history, and explores the impact of fashion on Maine’s society, economy, and environment.

Mar 16–Jul 30: Part I Northern Threads.
Throughout 2022: Check often for companion historic clothing mini-exhibits that will rotate in our Showcase and Shettleworth galleries, and the Wadsworth-Longfellow House.
Mar 16–May 21: Maine Historical Society in Pictures: exploring our first 200 Years. In our Shettleworth Gallery, explore MHS’ five locations over two centuries through paintings, photographs, and stories of pivotal MHS leaders. Also online.
Mar 16-Aug 6: Representing every particular: John Martin’s 19th century fashion illustrations. In our Showcase Gallery. Also online.
Aug 12–Dec 31: Part II Northern Threads.

Selected Zoom Programs

Apr 13: Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History. Richard Thompson Ford.
Apr 26: American Republics: A Continental History of the United States, 1783-1850. With Pulitzer-prize winner Alan Taylor.
May 27: Songs of Ships and Sailors. Book Talk and Performance with Castlebay.

Maine History Maker Award Event

May 5: Maine History Maker Award: Honors civic leaders Severin Beliveau and Harold Pachios. This in-person event at USM’s Hannaford Hall also celebrates the profound contribution of immigrant communities to Maine’s special sense of place. www.mainehistorymaker.org.

Explore More MHS History

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED to attend ANY exhibitions, programs, or events, including free Zoom programs. Please visit www.mainehistory.org for details on exhibit admission fees, timed-ticketing, scheduling your gallery visit, and to check program updates. Exhibit access for MHS members is free; non-member adults $10; children (6-17) $5, and under 6, free. Join before you schedule your visit!

Stunning MHS Landmark Historic Clothing Exhibition Brings Maine History to Life

On February 11, 2022August 5, 2022 By Maine Historical SocietyIn MHS ProgramsLeave a comment

NORTHERN THREADS: Two Centuries of Dress at Maine Historical Society will be on exhibit March 16 to December 31, 2022 at the MHS gallery, 489 Congress Street in Portland.

Are you ready to encounter amazing Maine history up close and personal? Did you know 19th century Maine citizens pursued fashion trends on par with Boston, London, and New York? Have you wondered how the fur trade affected wildlife and the environment? What did people wear to a ball that honored Revolutionary War hero, the Marquis de Lafayette?

Maine Historical Society (MHS) brings historic clothing, fashion trends, and their backstories to the modern audience. The much-anticipated Northern Threads shares Maine history in an exciting, multifaceted exhibition. Come for the clothes, stay for the history!

MHS houses one of the largest and most varied collections of historic clothing in the state. Central to MHS’ 200th anniversary, Northern Threads considers how the clothes Maine people wore reveals the history of our state. This two-part exhibition will explore key themes such as fabric production and accessibility, societal expectations, the fur trade’s devastating impact on Maine’s wildlife and environment, Indigenous communities, textile working conditions, and women’s independence. Northern Threads illuminates history through never-before-exhibited pieces in the MHS permanent collection, and highlights unprecedented online public access on the Maine Memory Network.

Ideally, visitors will attend both installations to be immersed in remarkable vignettes (or scenes) based on different themes. Vignettes feature beautifully dressed, individually crafted mannequins and cased artifacts, emphasizing specific time periods, trends, fibers, themes, and communities or individuals that contextualize the garments into distinct aspects of Maine and American history.

Part I – Clothing circa 1780-1889: Displayed March 16 to July 30, vignettes include the Gigot Sleeve; Civil War Era Fashions; Mourning Attire and Practices; Fabric’s Adaptive Re-Use; the Bustle Deconstructed; Outerwear; and Silhouettes in Sequence.

Front view: Hannah P. Adams’
embroidered dress, Belfast, ca. 1880

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Part II – Clothing circa 1890-1980: Displayed August 12 to December 31, vignettes include Maine’s Gilded Age; 1920s-1930s Fashions; Women at Work; Chemistry and Fashion; Bridal and Formalwear; Swimwear; Outerwear; and Silhouettes in Sequence.

*Green wool dress with red satin and black braid details, ca. 1900.*
*(All images copyrighted Maine Historical Society.)*

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Virtual Access: A 3-D virtual tour and detailed digital exhibit will increase public access 24/7 for those unable to visit the gallery in person, or for guests seeking to explore more aspects of the MHS Historic Clothing, Costume and Dress Collection portal. Online access is available through our award-winning Maine Memory Network digital history platform.

Companion Exhibits: Rotating mini-exhibits in our galleries throughout the year will feature: Parisian fashion drawings from the Mildred Burrage collection, circa 1920; Fashion Illustrations from the John Martin Journals; Maine Graphic Tees; and Wadsworth-Longfellow family historic clothing, 1780-1825 in the Wadsworth-Longfellow House this summer.

Public Programs: Exciting virtual public and educational programming are in the works, including a March 22^nd talk on MHS’ historic clothing collection with textile/dress historian, and Northern Threads consulting curator, Jacqueline Field; and an April 13^th talk with Richard Thompson Ford on Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History. Visit our programs and events page often for all the latest.

Plan Your Visit to the Two-Part Northern Threads Exhibition: Admission is by a 90-minute ticketing system. Access for MHS members is free; non-member adults $10; children (6-17) $5, and under 6, free. Join before you book! Check our website for benefits of MHS membership – including a limited time special 35 for 35 for new members 35 and younger.

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Northern Threads is made possible by dedicated staff, contributors, partners, and donors, including:

BHA Foundation Fund

Margaret E. Burnham Charitable Trust

Elsie A. Brown Fund, Inc.

The Coby Foundation for Textiles, Ltd.

The Davis Family Foundation

Down East Magazine (Media Sponsor)

Institute of Museum & Library Services

William Sloane Jelin Foundation

The Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust

Karen and Kirk Pelletier