I took a visit to Louisville, Kentucky to see my family, and a new exhibition showcasing a 19th century wedding dress that Caring for Textiles conserved…
“History, like a mighty river, is both constant and changing” and the stories flow forth…
My mother’s family is from Louisville, KY, and I’ve been visiting since I was a wee one. My memories are all sentimental and loving—all about family. My great-grandfather owned the Louisville Paint and Varnish Co, and I am named after my great-grandmother Julia Cahill. But our family didn’t pass along a wedding dress such as this one. So, it was truly an honor to conserve a piece of Kentucky history and see the revived 1857 dress splendidly exhibited at the Filson Historical Society.
That piece of history is the only textile on display—aperfectly fitted on a dress form and silhouetted against a hand-painted historic wallpaper background; it holds a pride of place in the fascinating new exhibition People, Passage, Place: Stories of the Ohio Valley. The monumental hand-painted map of the Ohio River is the backdrop for a range of stories about family, art, craftspeople, indigenous heritage, religion, food and agriculture, water use, music, bourbon…of course. “History, like a mighty river, is both constant and changing,” and the stories flow forth.
The blue and gold silk brocade dress, 1857, was worn by a German immigrant, Wilhelmina Lucia Schuckman, who married a cabinet maker. Wilhelmina was practical and had a fancy dress that she could wear for many special occasions over her lifetime. At 165 years old, the brocade still glimmers in the low light, accented with sassy bright blue tassel fringes. She must have looked radiant.
Caring for Textiles did extensive treatment to stabilize the dress so that it could be displayed 3 dimensionally. The silk was brittle, browned, and split throughout. After a careful wet cleaning and blocking to remove acids and humidify the silks, the splits were stabilized with a combination of fine hand stitching and subtle tulle net overlays. In some areas too fragile to puncture with a needle, a few reversible adhesive-coated silk supports were applied.
Photo courtesy of the Filson Historical Society
I was so grateful to spend time with the Filson’s Curator Maureen Lane and Assistant Curator and Exhibition Preparator Brooks Vessels. And to share my work with some of my extended family before the dress was placed on the mannequin.
Not a textile, but a most exuberant painting, is Laundry Day – showing quilts out drying while women stir the pot of washing, draw the water, and tend to the farm work. Painted by Helen LaFrance (1919-2020) of Graves County, KY, she mixed her paints from plants, berries, and Bluette laundry detergent.
No matter where we lived around the world, my mother’s KY crockery went with us—tea was always savored from a mug with a thoroughbred image on the outside and ‘whoa’ when you got to the last drop at the bottom. The Filson exhibit honors M.A. Hadley, who began her pottery works in 1945 with some iconic pieces.
If you happen to be in Louisville, check out the Filson Historical Society.
They have marvelous public programs.
Julia,
Wonderful article. I’m sending it on to my cousin, Steve Porter, a long-time Louisville resident, lawyer who owns a B&B there, Tuckerhouse. It’s worth a stay if you need a place when next you go home.
Ann
So glad to see this and that you keep doing what you do!!
Just beautiful! You are an inspiration…..