fashion exhibits - Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

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Fountainhead
Antique Auto Museum
Originally begun as a complement to the auto collection, the Fountainhead Antique
Fashion Collection has expanded from an assortment of motoring clothes to an
extensive array of costume history. Ranging from the 18th century to the mid 20th,
the collection now includes everyday wear and formal dress from 200 years of
American style, enhancing the sleek automotive designs in the museum or telling a
unique story of their own as a completely independent collection.
Our current exhibits illustrate how fashion progressed from the tightly corseted,
restrictive clothing of the 19th century to the slinky, effortless elegance of the 1930sjust as automobiles developed from the boxy carriages of the early 1900s to the tech
sophistication of Depression Era mechanics.
There is also a special “Alaska” section that presents fashions worn in Fairbanks
during the early years, so visitors can get a taste of what its citizens looked like on
the streets. While Alaskans tended to buy automobiles that were workhorses,
clothing was another matter. Our photographic exhibit proves Alaskan women were
just as interested in fashion as their contemporaries in the States. Women with some
means ordered dresses from San Francisco and Seattle and early-day Fairbanks even
had its own dressmakers. There are stories of women dressed in the high fashion of
the 1890s climbing the Chilkoot Pass and photos of galas with ladies and gentlemen
dressed in their most formal attire. Ballroom and party dresses are on display, as well
as handmade clothing and everyday wear.
We are also proud to have a small exhibit dedicated to the WAVEs (Women Accepted
for Voluntary Services) of WWII, and have the three standard WAVE uniforms and
accessories on display.
Perhaps the gem of the museum is the early 20th century collection. Our generous
selection of garments from 1900 through the1920s is an enchanting sample of
Edwardian elegance, Empire Revival chic, and Flapper shimmer. Currently on display
is an exhibit of 1920s evening glamour with little shift numbers glistening in sequins,
beads, and rhinestone splendor. The museum is also a fortunate host of pieces from
designers like Callot Soeurs, Edward Molyneux, and Maria Gallenga. Also recently
acquired were two Fortuny Delphos gowns, whose renowned pleats are a delight for
the fashion savvy.
The early 1900s are not the only source of sartorial pleasure from the collection. A
late 18th century silk brocade robe a l’anglaise is one of our earliest pieces resting in
remarkable condition. We boast a notable assortment of 19th century bustled
silhouettes and formidable leg-of-mutton sleeved gowns from the 1890s, as well as
1930s bias-cut, curve hugging wonders and 1940s tailored sophistication, including
pieces from designers Ceil Chapman and Hattie Carnegie.
The collection does not stop at clothing, however. A wide range of accessories
complements our garments. Shoes, purses, gloves, and jewelry dating from the 18th
century on round out the collection. Of course, no exhibit would be complete
without hats- see highlights from our expansive hat selection in the large trimmed,
veiled, and feathered hats of the Edwardian era through our special exhibit “Beauty
and the Bird: A Tale of Feathers, Fashion, and our Fowl Obsession,” which explores
the excessive and detrimental use of feathers in the millinery trade at the turn of the
20th century and how that launched the conservation movement.
With over 600 articles of dress history housed in the museum and more than 100
on display, the Fountainhead Antique Fashion Collection is a treat for costume
lovers everywhere.