American Style and Spirit: 130 years of Fashions and Lives
Dearbor, MI. (October 12, 2016) Clothing can tell many stories, from a person’s sense of style to the larger context of the world surrounding its wearer – but how often are these stories saved? Starting November 5 through April 2, 2017, guests to Henry Ford Museum can take a closer look at one family’s unique story preserved through their collection of clothing spanning generations inside the new temporary exhibition American Style and Spirit: 130 Years of Fashions and Lives of an Entrepreneurial family. These lovely garments provide not only a glimpse into the lives of the Roddis family, a successful upper-middle-class family from Marshfield, Wisconsin, but also reveal intriguing stories of American life as well. Guests to the exhibit are invited to consider their own personal connections to clothing and ponder their own self-expression through what they wear.
Inside the exhibit, guests will discover the elegant evening dresses, suits, hats, shoes, children’s clothing, letters and more found carefully packed away in the Roddis family attic. The over 50 visually striking period garments on display range from everyday wear to special occasion clothing dated from mid-19th century to the late 20th century. Guests will learn more about the family itself, through photos, letters and other documents from the Roddis family archive detailing the family’s lumber business, travels abroad, weddings, cultural influences and more.
American Style & Spirit also gives guests a chance to share what influences the clothing they wear and why they save the items they save inside the self-reflection zone where their thoughts will be shared with other exhibit-goers.
Guests can also “try on” items from the Roddis family collection thanks to the help of the exhibit’s “magic” mirrors. Young fashion designers inspired by the Roddis family have the chance to create their own clothing designs inside the exhibit.
