Antiques Club of the Finger Lakes: From the Showroom to the Workroom: A Visual Tour of the 19th-Century Millinery Shop
April 3, 2025, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Edgar Degas. The Millinery Shop, 1879-1886. The Art Institute of Chicago.
Join the Antiques Club of the Finger Lakes on April 3 for this program on 19th-century millinery. Historian and straw milliner Anna Worden will take audiences on a visual exploration of both the showroom and the workroom, revealing what these spaces looked like, what they sold, and the tools and materials used to craft fashionable hats and bonnets. Using period photographs, occupational images, bills of sale, and period literature, Anna will bring to life the world of millinery in the rural Northeast, with a special focus on New York State. Learn about the shop owners, workers, and home-based artisans —who played a vital role in shaping 19th-century fashion.
Anna Worden is a specialist in historically accurate straw millinery, crafting hand-sewn 18th and 19th-century straw hats and bonnets. She is also an author and researcher focused on historical fashion and Victorian fancy work. Through her work, she strives to illuminate the lives of everyday women of the 19th century. With a deep passion for historical craftsmanship, Anna’s expertise lies in straw plait millinery, authentically using wheat and rye straw to recreate period styles. Her research-based interpretation is informed by original millinery pieces and a personal collection of antique millinery blocks.
Anna has presented engaging historical programs and hands-on workshops for museums, historical societies, and community organizations. Her areas of expertise include straw millinery, Victorian fancy work, 19th-century quilted and wadded winter hoods, and women’s employment in these trades. She is passionate about helping audiences connect with history through experiential learning and applied historical skills.
This program is presented in cooperation with Historic Geneva and is free and open to the public. Meetings of the Antiques Club of the Finger Lakes are presented in the newly renovated Hucker Gallery at the Geneva History Museum. Membership in the Antiques Club is $15 per year. The club plans meetings featuring various speakers, field trips and social events. See the Club's Facebook page for more news.
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