Fiber Arts - Textiles

Schuyler Mansion Lecture Series Begins Saturday

March 24, 2015 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

This Saturday, March 28, 2015, Schuyler Mansion will host “Fabric For Furniture: Historic Choices,” presented by Elizabeth Lahikainen as first of the site’s 2015 spring lecture series focusing on 18th-century interior decoration, Schuyler Splendor: The Making of an 18th Century Home of Good Taste.

Elizabeth Lahikainen, an internationally recognized textile conservator specializing in historic upholstery, will discuss 18th century design trends, fabrics appropriate for different chair styles, and what is available in today’s market. Utilizing fabrics of unusual weave and motifs, she will demonstrate combinations using chairs from Schuyler Mansion’s collection. [Read more…] about Schuyler Mansion Lecture Series Begins Saturday

Artifacts Returned To Susan B. Anthony Museum

March 18, 2015 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

A cross-stitch sampler created by Susan B. Anthony over a three-year period beginning in 1831 has been returned to the National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House. The artifact has been in the care of conservator Sarah Stevens of Zephyr Preservation Studios.

“Susan B. Anthony had this sampler prominently displayed in her office when she was in her eighties, so we know that it was important to her,” Deborah L. Hughes, President & CEO of the Anthony Museum, said. “It is precious today because it connects us personally to young Susan and her family. This was her handiwork, long before she was the Great Reformer.” [Read more…] about Artifacts Returned To Susan B. Anthony Museum

Amsterdam: Short History of People’s Silk Store

February 22, 2015 by Bob Cudmore Leave a Comment

Samuel L. Kupferberg’s ancestors were in the fabric trade so it was only logical that he pursued that line of work. Born in Romania in 1893, Sam had 17 siblings. Two of his older brothers had started fabric businesses in New York City. Getting to America from Codaesti, Romania was an issue for Sam. During World War I Romanian Jews were confined to their villages. After the war Sam left the old country in 1920 for New York City where he worked with his oldest brother, Jacob.

In 1926 Amsterdam’s People’s Silk Store, which sold fabrics and draperies, was for sale. Sam took the train upstate, bought the business and kept the name. [Read more…] about Amsterdam: Short History of People’s Silk Store

1600s Clothing: Peter Stuyvesant’s Guide to Style

February 18, 2015 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

On February 22, 2015 at 1 pm Crailo State Historic Site in Rensselaer, NY will present “Peter Stuyvesant’s Guide to Style: What to Wear in the Seventeenth Century,” a lecture on the clothing of the Dutch colony of New Netherland by Anne Matusiewicz.

She will discuss the dress of the colonists as well as resources for researching and recreating their clothing. [Read more…] about 1600s Clothing: Peter Stuyvesant’s Guide to Style

Lecture: Dating Photos By Fashion

January 21, 2015 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Lake Placid-North Elba Historical Society has announced the first program of its 2015 “Odds and Ends” Winter Lecture Series on Wednesday, January 28 at Howard Johnson’s Restaurant in Lake Placid, NY. The program is “Dating Photos by Fashion” presented by Margaret Bartley, Trustee of the Essex County Historical Society.

“Dating Photos by Fashion” is a slide/lecture program designed to teach anyone who is interested in learning how to date old photos by the style of dress and fashion. It will cover the period 1840 to 1920 and uses old photos to show how styles changed over a period of 80 years. Dating old photos is a great help to anyone interested in history, genealogy or simply has old family photos that are unidentified or undated. [Read more…] about Lecture: Dating Photos By Fashion

Historic Textile Exhibit Opens At Albany Institute

October 16, 2014 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

In the private space of the bedroom, the world takes center stage. Politics, international trade, social events, religion, and cultural affairs come alive in the elaborate designs and patterns displayed on American quilts, coverlets, and bed hangings.

The Albany Institute of History & Art has opened Undercover: Revealing Design in Quilts, Coverlets, and Bed Hangings, an exhibition that investigates the designs and patterns that decorate American bedcovers of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. In addition to the textiles, early illustrated books, paintings, ceramics, and more are included to show sources of inspiration for textile designs. [Read more…] about Historic Textile Exhibit Opens At Albany Institute

Founding Fashion: 18th-Century Military Clothing Exhibit

June 12, 2014 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Fort Ticonderoga Museum’s first clothing exhibition in over a quarter century opened in May and brings together a remarkable collection of historical military garments, accessories, and artworks.

The exhibit, entitled Founding Fashion: The Diversity of Regularity in 18th-Century Military Clothing, explores how European military fashion and global commerce influenced American martial appearance throughout the American Revolution. [Read more…] about Founding Fashion: 18th-Century Military Clothing Exhibit

At Boscobel: Spring Lecture Series on Federal Style

April 24, 2014 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

“Boscobel is all about style, beauty and design,” claims Boscobel Executive Director, Steven Miller. “The elegance of its architecture, its immaculate collection of Federal period furnishings and its breathtaking gardens all come together to create the perfect venue for a series of lectures focused on Federal interior and exterior décor.”

Following tradition since 2002, the Friends of Boscobel will host a series of three lectures on Federal style. [Read more…] about At Boscobel: Spring Lecture Series on Federal Style

Ladies’ Mile Historic District: Plan Will Demolish Buildings

April 1, 2014 by Simeon Bankoff Leave a Comment

Today, the owner of 51 and 53 West 19th Street in the Ladies’ Mile Historic District in New York City will request the Landmarks Preservation Commission for permission to demolish two buildings and to construct a 14-story building in their place. Unfortunately, this is not an April’s Fool joke.

51 and 53 West 19th Street are five-story, residential buildings built in 1854 which were converted to commercial and/or manufacturing use in the 1920s. Such a history is very much in keeping with the Ladies’ Mile Historic District. In fact, the designation report lists “converted dwellings” as a building type in the district along with “residential construction”, “office buildings”, “store and loft buildings”, and “retail stores/department stores.” The report points out that after World War I, the shopping district had moved north and the area’s focus shifted to manufacturing. The 1916 zoning resolution had prohibited the construction of tall buildings on mid-block sites, and so instead the surviving residential buildings were converted. Converted dwellings are obviously a part of the fabric of the district, and these two nicely-designed buildings are good examples of this typology. [Read more…] about Ladies’ Mile Historic District: Plan Will Demolish Buildings

NYS Museum Acquires 21 Native American Artworks

February 12, 2014 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The New York State Museum has acquired 21 new works of art by 18 artists from Native American Nations in New York State.

From baskets and beadwork to modern art, the newest additions celebrate the traditional roots of Native American artistry through modern expression. An exhibition featuring the artwork is scheduled for fall 2014. [Read more…] about NYS Museum Acquires 21 Native American Artworks