LENOX, Mass. — Diane Shewchuk, Curator at the Albany Institute of History & Art, will provide at Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum and via Zoom a glimpse into what is involved in the creation of exhibitions featuring historic clothing.  

 

She will make her presentation called "Showcasing 18th Century, Victorian & Jazz Age Fashions" on Sept. 14 at 4:00 pm at Ventfort Hall's concluding 2021 Tuesday Talk.

 

In this behind-the-scenes presentation, Shewchuk will discuss how dresses made of fragile silks and beaded chiffons are carefully put on mannequins. She will also talk about creating the proper silhouette and show you secrets of the dress trade by looking inside dresses from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries with an emphasis on Victorian dresses made by Charles Frederick Worth.

 

In her exhibition, "Well Dressed in Victorian Albany," Shewchuk shared fifty examples from the Albany Institute's extensive collection of 19th century clothing. Examples of late 18th and early 19th century garments were included in her exhibition "The Schuyler Sisters and Their Circle." On August 28, the museum will have showcased other dresses from the collection in the exhibition "Fashionable Frocks: The Look of the 1920s." Shewchuk's presentation at Ventfort Hall will shine a spotlight of some of the amazing garments that were included in these three exhibitions.

 

Shewchuk has more than thirty years of experience working in the museum and historic house field in New York State with both collections-based and public programming. She has held the positions of Curator at Clermont State Historic Site, Historic Site Manager at John Jay Homestead State Historic Site, Curator and then Director at the Columbia County Historical Society before joining the Albany Institute of History & Art. She has curated numerous exhibitions on a variety of themes.    

 

The admission for the Shewchuk talk is $20 per person either in attendance at Ventfort Hall or via Zoom.  To order on Zoom visit https://ventfort09142021.eventbrite.com To attend at Ventfort Hall reservations are strongly recommended. Call us at (413) 637-3106. The historical mansion is located at 104 Walker Street in Lenox.  The Summer 2021 series of Tuesday Talks is sponsored by Ventfort Hall board member Lucille Landa and William Landa.