Article in the Eagle Times - Our Civil War exhibit

Article in the Eagle Times 6/21/13

"Museum brings back exhibit for Civil War anniversary"

By CHRIS GAROFOLO Staff Writer

SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Art & Historical Society held its annual First Night Reception yesterday, reopening the downtown Miller Art Center for the summer season with the return of a display honoring the town’s involvement during the Civil War.
The festivities marked an exhibit titled “Returning Fire” that explores the role of Springfield citizens and solders during the Civil War. Within the latest Miller Art Center display, first brought to Springfield in 1998, is several new items for 2013 including reading materials and a presentation sword.
Emily Stringham, a member of the society’s board and the textiles curator, said some of the items are also on loan that are different from the initial exhibit. The 150th anniversary of the Civil War prompted the return of the historical artifacts dating back to the 1860s.
It is also the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg and there was a sizable amount of Springfield soldiers (and Vermonters in general) who took part in the three-day conflict outside of the Pennsylvania town where more than 23,000 soldiers on both sides died.
“It is a really important part of Springfield’s history and there’s a lot of different towns all over the state that are trying to tie into the anniversary. And we thought Springfield played an important role and we ought to be contributing to the anniversary also,” Stringham said.
Society President Jim Chlebak and his family’s brass trio set the tone for the evening with an arrangement of music from the era. A list of Civil War veterans from Springfield has been placed on the wall, along with uniforms, medals and information on the town’s history with the underground railroad and the 3rd and 16th Vermont regiments.
Left: Maddi Macie and Makenna Goodrich model Civil War era dresses at the First Night Reception at the Miller Museum in Springfield Thursday evening. Top: Bob Swanson from Springfield looks at part of the Civil War display. Middle: Tim Vanzandt from Springfield looks at part of the Civil War display. PAUL HOWE PHOTOS

Photos from our Vintage Fashion Show

Textiles on display during "250 Years of Fashion - A Vintage Fashion Show" Photo by Hannah Lillie, 2011

Thank you to Lindsay DeBlock, Mimi Stringham, and Jan Page for their help dressing our models; Abby Graffia, Bryne-Marie Sydne, Courtney Page, Jenn Stein, Julia Stein, Katie Stokarski, and Sara Gray. Thank you to our guest models, Cori Santagate, John Swanson, and Anna DeBlock. And to everyone who helped with refreshments. You all made this a successful event! The clothing and accessories used for this fashion show were a combination of reproductions as well as vintage and antique items. Most items are part of the collection here at the historical society. The reproduction pieces and a few of the vintage pieces were on loan from a private collection. 

Photo by Hannah Lillie, 2011

Photo by Hannah Lillie, 2011

The first outfit shown was a reproduction suit of men’s clothing from the mid 18th century. The coat and breaches are made from burgundy wool broad cloth. Men’s breeches were fitted through the legs but were rather loose in the seat. This allowed for easy of movement, especially for activities such as horse-back riding. 

Women’s clothing in the 18th century underwent a variety of changes. Abby modeled a reproduction silk taffeta gown in the style know as a “saquec” or “robe a l’frances”. This style was popular from the 1740s to the 1770s. The gown is worn over a linen shift, stays that are fully boned, pocket hoops which hold the gown out at the sides, an under petticoat, a silk petticoat, stomacher, and finally the gown itself.

Snuff gloves c.1800 to 1820, SAHS collection. Photo by Hannah Lillie, 2011 

A variety of Victorian era women's clothing was shown, ranging in date from the 1850s to the 1890s. 

 Bustle gown from the 1870s.
Photo by Hannah Lillie, 2011

Wedding gown of Elinor Price, 1886.
Photo by Hannah Lillie, 2011

 

   Leg o' mutton sleeves and wedding bonnet.
Photo by Hannah Lillie, 2011

Clothing from the 1920s to modern day was also featured. Including a 1920s wedding gown, prom dresses from the 1950s and 1960s and modern day athletic wear.

1940s dress and fur wrap. Photo by Hannah Lillie, 2011

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A special thank you to intern Hannah Lille for photographing our fashion show. And for allowing us to use her photos. A video of the fashion show is available through SAPA-TV.

Interns and intern coordinators. Photo by Hannah Lille, 2011

Columbus Day Weekend Recap

The SAHS had a very busy Columbus Day weekend, but what a beautiful weekend it was! We couldn’t have asked for better weather, it was perfect! Saturday was the 29^th annual Vermont Apple Festival and Craft Show. SAHS members and volunteers set up our display booth in the Riverside School cafeteria Friday evening and took turns at the booth during the day on Saturday. The Apple Festival ran from 9am to 5pm, but with set-up and clean-up time factored in it was a long day indeed. However, we had a great time and the chance to meet and talk with some wonderful people! 

SAHS display at the 29^th annual Vermont Apple Festival

The SASH offered for sale a selection of Springfield history books, historic photos and postcards and quilt raffle tickets. We also had some bowls from last year’s Empty Bowl Dinner fundraiser. Our historic display included photos and one of the many bicentennial flags in our collection. Over a dozen flags were created by people in Springfield and were displayed around town during our nation’s bicentennial celebration. Two of these flags were on display during our 250^th anniversary exhibit this summer.

Face painting by our student interns was a big hit! The interns painted butterflies, pumpkins, apples, spiders, tigers and more. One little girl was so happy with her butterfly face that she kissed her reflection in the hand-held mirror. A big thank you goes out to our inters for all their hard work!

On Sunday we were finally able to present our vintage fashion show. Originally scheduled for August 28, we had to cancel because of Hurricane Irene. This Sunday we had blue sky and plenty of sunshine! The interns and volunteers modeling the antique and vintage clothing arrived at the Miller Art Center at noon. After getting dressed we had change to take a few pictures before the fashion show began. Everyone who attended had a great time and agreed it was a wonderful event. Marita Johnson from SAPA TV was gracious enough to film the event so if you missed us on Sunday, look for us on SAPA! 

Vintage hats, SAHS collection

The events this Columbus Day weekend concludes our 2011 season. We will be closed to the public until next spring. If you are interested in visiting the Springfield Art and Historical Society at the Miller Art Center please call us at 802-885-2415 to make an appointment. We will have our annual meeting and pot luck dinner on November __.  Elections of our board of officers will take place at this time. SAHS members and the general public are encouraged and welcomed to attend. Our guest speaker is TBA.

Check back soon for pictures from our vintage fashion show and details about this year’s Empty Bowl Dinner!

Documentary by Keith Bevacqua

During the summer of 2011, Keith Bevacqua worked with the SAHS and student interns to create a short documentary. The film offers a glimpse into what made Springfield, Vermont unique and how the town's dedicated advocates are telling the story of the 250-year-old community.

Thank you Keith for your hard work and dedication! This is a wonderful film!

 

http://vimeo.com/29431717

Student inters and intern co-coordinators at the opening reception of "250 Years to Shine! - A History of Springfield, Vt"

Additional articles and videos about the SAHS and the student intern program can be found here:
From WCAX - http://www.wcax.com/story/14967085/teens-help-with-springfield-celebrations
From the Rutland Herald- http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008808190331