4/20/2012 @ 10:00

4/20/2012

Kent State University Museum
515 Hilltop Drive
Kent, OH 44242

On the Home Front focuses on the daily life and experiences of the American civilian population during the Civil War and in the years immediately following. The pieces on exhibit, including women's and children's costumes, supplemented with related photographs, decorative arts and women's magazines are organized thematically. Far from being a simple trivial diversion during such a critical period, fashion provides a unique window into the lived experience of Americans during the Civil War. Despite being far from the battlefields, women and children were deeply and immediately touched by the conflict.
One of the highlights of the exhibit is the Keckley quilt, made by Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley, a former slave who served as Mary Todd Lincoln's dressmaker. The quilt is believed to have been made from scraps of Mrs. Lincoln's dresses. Also on exhibit are Civil War uniforms; cloaks and wraps including a paisley shawl; underwear including corsets and crinolines; 4 wedding dresses; numerous children's outfits; accessories such as bonnets and shoes; and examples of hair jewelry. The exhibition is drawn primarily from the Kent State University Museum's world class collection of historic fashion, and also includes loans from the Western Reserve Historical Society and the Kent State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives.
The exhibit will be accompanied by a full-color catalogue with close-up detailed images of many of the highlights of the show, available in the Museum Store.