The Fashion of History Program and Exhibit Opening

Fashion, photography, and facts will come into focus at Rodman Public Library in March and April.

   Just in time for Women's History Month, the Alliance Area Preservation Society will present "The Fashion of History," an eight-week exhibit in the RPL gallery. The display, which is curated by Chrystal Robinson-Shofroth, will open March 7 and run through April 30.

    Sponsored by Mac's Attic and Pocket Change Antiques, the innovative exhibit will feature vintage and historic fashion and the places those styles may have been worn in Alliance from the 1800s through the 1970s.

    The exhibit will include photographs of various fashions throughout the decades taken in the Haines House and modeled by Jena Taylor, Jaclyn Picone, and Amy McClure. It will also feature vintage clothing and accessories on display as well as educational posters that list the basic elements of fashion throughout each decade with tidbits of Alliance history from the same time period and photos of Carnation City sites. Children's fashion from each time period and vintage accessories will also be on display in glass cases.

"The exhibit of encourages younger demographics to learn about the history of Alliance while they learn about fashion worn during the 1800s through the 1970s in varying locations or events around each time period in the area," explained Robinson-Shofroth, a member of the board of trustees for the Alliance Area Preservation Society.

      A special presentation at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 7 will officially open "The Fashion of History." The featured speaker will be Sara Hume, a professor and curator of Kent State University Museum whose research in the history of dress has focused on the intersections between fashionable and traditional dress as well as the global reach of the fashion industry.

    Hume's presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer period about the exhibit with Robinson-Shofroth, an award-winning interdisciplinary artist who specializes in curating arts experiences that engage all of the senses. She owns GhostRighterz, which offers the community a variety of artistic services and is working on a documentary that examines her passion for the preservation and revitalization of downtown Alliance.

The event will be livestreamed on the Rodman Public Library Facebook page.

Registration is required for the opening night event at rodmanlibrary.evanced.info/signup.

Robisnon-Shofroth thanked other members of The Alliance Area Preservation Society, especially Robb Hyde and Deb Hatherill, for their help in the project. Local artist Stephanie Lambert also provided fashion drawings.

Robisnon-Shofroth noted that several of the items on display will be available for sale at Mac's Attic at the conclusion of the exhibit.