CSA E-News
Volume 3 No. 4
FEBRUARY 15, 2004 Edition
Costume Society of America
http://www.costumesocietyamerica.com
CONTENTS:
1. Bonnie Cashin Arrives
2. Houston, It's in the Mail!
3. Assistant Editor for "CSA News" Needed
4. News From Members
5. CSA Board of Directors Ballot
6. Exhibitions
7. Book Reports
8. Textile News
9. National Symposium Updates
10. Regional Symposia
11. Textile Conservation
12. Requests from Members
13. Send in Your News!
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1. BONNIE CASHIN ARRIVES
The UCLA Library has acquired the archive of fashion
designer Bonnie Cashin (1908-2000)-- one of America's
foremost designers from the second half of the 20th century.
This comprehensive archive encompasses complete
documentation of her fashion and costume designs, including
sketches, photographs and slides.
To announce the arrival of the Cashin Collection, STEPHANIE DAY
IVERSON curated an exhibition now at UCLA, Department of Special
Collections. "Chic is Where you Find It: Selections from the Bonnie
Cashin Collection of Theater, Film Costume, and Fashion Design" runs
through March 25, 2004. STEPHANIE informs us that there will be a
public lecture on March 5, as well as her lecture with reception on
March 18 (RSVP by March 12 at 310-794-4408). Also, an online
exhibition is being constructed; address will be:
http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/special/scweb/cashin/cashinindex.htm
Reach STEPHANIE at mailto:Dayiverson@aol.com.
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2. HOUSTON, IT'S IN THE MAIL!
The beautiful and colorful registration brochure for the
2004 National Symposium has been mailed and registration
information is on the CSA website:
http://www.costumesocietyamerica.com/2004symposium.pdf!!
Symposium Co-Coordinators, KAY KING and CLAREMARIE VERHEYEN
cordially invite you to join them for "Hot, Haute Houston
presents 20th CENTURY DESIGN: FASHION, INTERIORS,
ARCHITECTURE AND THE PERFORMING ARTS." Register early to get
all your first choices!
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3. ASSISTANT EDITOR FOR "CSA NEWS" NEEDED
"CSA News" -- our Society's quarterly print newsletter --
needs a new volunteer Assistant Editor. Special thanks to
AIMEE NEWELL who served with distinction as Assistant Editor
for more than two years.
The Assistant Editor receives "In Brief" announcements from
the CSA National Office, then selects timely releases to
prepare for publication. The finished section can be sent to
the editor on a disk or e-mail attachment in a standard word
processing program, preferably Microsoft Word.
Perks are having advance notice of exhibits, seminars and
publications as well as communicating about the costume
world! If you are interested, please notify the "CSA News"
Editor CATHY TAYLOR at
mailto:csanews@costumesocietyamerica.com.
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4. NEWS FROM MEMBERS
A. PUBLISHED: Region VI member HOLLY ALFORD, assistant
Professor in the Department of Fashion Design and
Merchandising at Virginia Commonwealth University, reports
that her paper entitled "The Zoot Suit: Its History and
Influence" will be published by Berg publishers in the
May/June 2004 issue of "Fashion Theory." HOLLY is also a
costume designer and is very excited about the publication.
B. OLD GLOBE: Costume Designer, HOLLY POE DURBIN of Region
V: "I just designed 1940s costumes for a new play at the Old
Globe Theater in San Diego called 'SkyGirls.' It will play
for six more weeks. It is about the female pilots of World
War II called WASP (Women Air Force Service Pilots). There
is an archival collection of WASP information at Texas
Women's University. They lent us real uniforms and other
materials to research. We duplicated the costumes in the Old
Globe costume shop. More information on the subject of
female pilots and their uniforms is available on the TWU
website:
http://www.twu.edu/wasp/archival_collection2.htm.
C. DRAWING: Region V member JUSTINE LIMPUS PARISH is now
teaching "Fashion Model Drawing" at Otis School of Fashion,
located at the Cal Mart in downtown Los Angeles. Her book
"Drawing the Fashion Body" is now sold through the Mart book
store at mailto:sales@thefashionbookstore.com. Information
available on JUSTINE'S website at
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~parishjt/
D. COMMUNICATION WORKS: KELLY SCHOTT of the Cedar Falls
Historical Society expresses her thanks to all CSA members
who answered her request in the January E-News for
assistance in her thesis and upcoming exhibition research.
"It was a wonderful feeling to hear from so many talented
people, and have an opportunity to share information with
fellow historians."
E. EVERYONE LOVES A BRIDE: SANDY SCHREIER, author and
collector from Region III, reports that she is in the midst
of another busy year of speaking on the lecture circuit, and
thanks to "Hollywood Gets Married" -- her second book -- her
stage presentation is more popular than ever before. Her
book is now being translated into foreign languages.
F. DARIEN: As curator of Antique Costumes at the Darien
Historical Society in Darien, CT, BABS WHITE assembles about
six costume displays a year. Several of these can be seen on
their website: http://historical.darien.org/exhibits.htm
G. IN PARIS: Region V member VIRGINIA DAVIS will exhibit
with "Arelis" -- a group of fiber artists based in Paris --
at the Bibliotheque Forney, Hotel Sens in Paris. VIRGINIA
will attend the opening of the juried show on April 26; the
show continues through July 24, 2004. The small piece she
is exhibiting is called "Threads Squared" and will appear in
the exhibition catalogue. For more info, contact her at
mailto:virginia@eipye.com.
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5. CSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS BALLOT
From CLAUDIA IANNUCCILLI and DAVID NEWELL, co-chairs of the
CSA Nomination Committee: "Over the last three months the
nomination committee, which includes nine CSA members, has
been spending many hours putting together the next CSA Board
of Directors ballot. This ballot is your voice in choosing
those to guide and lead our organization into the future.
This ballot also represents recent changes that will reduce
the overall size of the CSA Board of Directors. Only five
positions will be filled this year. This change will
hopefully allow CSA to better support board members in the
future, allowing new faces to consider being candidates."
"The Nomination Committee requests that our members take the
time to examine the candidates and choose those they believe
will best represent CSA. You will receive your ballot this
month; please vote and send the ballots back by the
specified date in mid-March. Our goal is that the majority
of the members -- not the minority -- choose the board
members voted in this year."
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6. EXHIBITIONS
A. LADIES AT HOME: The Benton House of Historic Irvington in
Indianapolis, IN presents "Ladies At Home: Costume From 1870
to 1920." The two-day exhibit will display over 30 pieces of
costumes and accessories from the private collection of
Chris Marshall. The focus will be the changing fashions of
the Victorian and Edwardian periods and illustrate the
movement from complicated bustles to simplistic vertical
lines. Highlights include a late 1870s fish-tail style
paisley dressing gown, an 1880s blue silk brocade day dress,
and a late -1910s blue wool military style dress. The
exhibit will be April 17 and 18, 2004. Contact MARY JANE
TEETERS-EICHACKER, Curator of Social History at the Indiana
State Museum, at 317-232-5606 or
mailto:mteeters@dnr.state.in.us
B. MOURNING: The Cedar Falls Historical Society in Cedar
Falls, IA will present the exhibition, "Victorian
Celebration of Death." The year-long exhibit is now open and
will be housed in the Victorian Home and Carriage House
Museum. The exhibit has on display various second mourning
dresses from 1840-1890, along with first and second mourning
veils and bonnets, hats, and all of the accessories that
would make a mourning toilet complete. For more info, see
http://www.CedarFallsHistorical.org
C. AT THE CUTTING EDGE: The exhibition "At the Cutting Edge:
Contemporary Fabric Art" will open at the Ventura County
Museum of History & Art in Ventura, CA. Showing March 6 -
May 23, 2004, this juried show features quilts and wearable
art pieces not based on traditional patterns, but guided
instead by unique artistic vision. The exhibit will feature
24 contemporary quilts and 12 distinctive wearable art
pieces created by 29 artists from Ventura and Santa Barbara
counties. For more information, contact KATHY HENRI,
Collections Manager at mailto:collections@vcmha.org or see
the website at http://www.vcmha.org
D. ACCESSORIES IN CHARLESTON: "The Accessory en Vogue:
Purses, Hats, Parasols and Shoes" -- all from The Charleston
Museum collections -- will be a 2004 year-long rotating
exhibition featuring fashion accessories. Curator JAN
HIESTER says that the Charleston, SC museum will feature an
essential personal accessory each quarter. "The Purse" is
now on display until April 4, 2004; "The Hat" from April 8 -
June 14; "The Parasol" from June 21 - September 12; and "The
Shoe" from September 17 - January 2, 2005. Although each
presentation will be a small exhibit in the museum's main
lobby, "The Purse" contains over 70 purses and bags.
See http://www.charlestonmuseum.org
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7. BOOK REPORTS
A. JEWELRY: The revised edition of "Jewelry and Metalwork in
the Arts and Crafts Tradition" by ELYSE ZORN KARLIN is due
out in a few weeks. Featuring jewelry of the Arts & Crafts
Movement, the book includes discussion of the jewelry in
relation to fashion. It retails for $70.00 (it has 700
photographs) but CSA members can purchase it from EYLSE for
15% off including free shipping. Contact ELYSE at
mailto:ekarlin@usa.net
B. SPANISH MARKET: News from OLGA KONTZIAS, Executive Editor
of Fairchild Books: "In December, Fairchild Books expanded
into the Spanish market and launched our new
Spanish-language list. The first Spanish titles being
published are translations of 'The Spec Manual' by CSA
member MICHELE WESEN BRYANT and Diane DeMers; 'Fashion
Sketchbook' by Bina Abling; 'Guide to Fashion Sewing' by
Connie Amaden Crawford; and 'Fashion Production Terms' by
Debbie Ann Gioello and Beverly Berke. Publication dates are
targeted for late 2004. Initially, the list will focus on
translations of the best and classic texts on Fairchild
Books' fashion front and backlists."
C. COSTUME PRESS: This news from RALPH PINE of Costume &
Fashion Press, a division of Quite Specific Media Group Ltd.
This month they are publishing the reprinted versions of the
following: "The Needlework of Mary Queen of Scots" by
Margaret Swain; "Making Latex Clothes" by Sian-Kate Mooney;
"The Medieval Tailor's Assistant" by Sarah Thursfield;
"Tailor's Pattern Book" by Juan de Alcega; "Queen
Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'd" by Janet Arnold. If these
books are sold on Amazon.com, then they will be listed in
our Online Booksore. Check for lots of new listings in the
CSA Online Bookstore at:
http://www.costumesocietyamerica.com/Bookstore/index.html
D. HEADWRAPS: "Headwraps: A Global Journey," by GEORGIA
SCOTT of Region II, was published last year by Public
Affairs. It's a beautifully written and illustrated look at
how cultures around the world (from Africa, Europe, Asia,
Middle East, the Caribbean, Latin America and the U.S.) wear
headwraps and head scarves. Available in the CSA Bookstore:
http://www.costumesocietyamerica.com/Bookstore/index.html
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8. TEXTILE NEWS
Ann Lane Hedland, director of the Arizona State Museum on
the University of Arizona campus and Textile Society of
America member, sends us news. First, over an 18-month
period nearly 10,000 archival documents that tell the story
of how the Gloria F. Ross tapestries were created, from the
1960s into the 1990s, have been digitally scanned and will
eventually become part of the National Archives of American
Art in Washington, DC. The scanned material is now ready to
be organized and arranged through a specially developed
relational database to eventually be used in creating a
major book on the tapestries.
The second news item is the acceptance of the ASM proposal
to organize an exhibition in Tucson from October 2004
through April 2005: "Navajo Weaving at the Arizona State
Museum: 19th Century Blankets, 20th Century Rugs, 21st
Century Voices." Look for this exciting juxtaposition of
classic and contemporary Navajo tapestry-woven textiles to
culminate in a Tucson symposium and weavers' gathering in
mid-April 2005.
http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/
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9. NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM UPDATES
A. MARKETPLACE IN HOUSTON WILL BE FESTIVE EVENT: Pack your
credit card or checkbook and prepare for a Texas-sized
shopping experience at the Symposium Marketplace in Houston!
National Marketplace Chair GAYLE STREGE and local chair
CHARLOTTE HAMILTON are soliciting the most exciting vendors
of vintage clothing, wearable art, fine art, textiles,
patterns, millinery, publications, software, conservation
and sewing supplies, as well as ethnic apparel for the
Thursday, May 27, afternoon and evening extravaganza. CSA
individual and business members, as well as non-members, are
invited to take advantage of this special opportunity to
reach a unique concentration of their target market. Reserve
your table(s) online at
http://www.costumesocietyamerica.com/2004symposium.pdf or
call the National Office at 800-CSA-9447 (410-275-1619
outside the US and Canada.) For more information, contact
CHARLOTTE at 713-718-6087 or
mailto:charlottte.hamilton@hccs.edu.
B. SILENT AUCTION DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE: Coming off
its most successful year, National Symposium Silent Auction
chair JAN HARMAN is looking for donations to make the 2004
event over the top! We need your donations of books and gift
items related to costume & textiles to make it happen! As
you downsize your own collection for the new year, remember
the Silent Auction and offer a tax deductible donation to
CSA. Contact JAN at mailto:mrsjharman@aol.com for donation
details or check your registration forms. Also, see the
beautiful Symposium information form on the website at
http://www.costumesocietyamerica.com/2004symposium.pdf
for all the Symposium details!
C. ARMCHAIR TOURS: Reminder that the ARMCHAIR TOURS at the
Houston National Symposium will include Theatrical Costume
Designs! Exhibitions of costume, as well as costume designs
for a theatrical production, dating from October 1, 2002 may
be presented in slide or digital formats. Applications are
available on the website at
http://www.costumesocietyamerica.com/natsym.html
or from the National Office at 800-CSA-9447.
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10. REGIONAL SYMPOSIA
A. NASHVILLE: Enjoy "Costume and Country" at the 2004 Region
VI Annual Meeting & Symposium, August 6-8, in Nashville, TN.
Co-chairs are JANET HASSON, newly retired from Belle Meade
Plantation, and CANDACE ADELSON, the Curator of Costume and
Textiles at the Tennessee State Museum. This news just in!
Keynote speaker will be Manuel, of Manuel Exclusive
Clothier, who is one of the premier designers for the
country music stars. (He formerly designed with Nudie.)
Manuel will share his experiences and bring costumes to
share. Y'all come! For information on the Symposium,
contact: JANET at 615-377-3556 or
mailto:janetrh@comcast.net. For information on "Preserving
Our Past" Workshop, contact: NEWBIE RICHARDSON at
703-548-1563 or mailto:pastcrafts@erols.com.
B. FALL SYMPOSIUM: Region III announces their Fall 2004
Symposium, "Confluences: Exploration of Dress in New
Frontiers and Changing Urban Settings." The symposium will
be held October 8-9, 2004 in St. Louis, MO at the Missouri
Historical Society and Fontbonne University. The symposium
corresponds with the bicentennial celebration of the Lewis
and Clark expedition in 1804 and the centennial celebration
of the World's Fair and Olympic Games, both held in St.
Louis in 1904, forever changing the local social and
political landscape.
JOYCE STARR JOHNSON of Fontbonne University invites all CSA
members to submit abstracts relating to the theme,
postmarked by May 15, 2004. For more information, contact
JOYCE at mailto:jjohnson@fontbonne.edu. Information soon to
be posted on the website:
http://www.costumesocietyamerica.com
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11. TEXTILE CONSERVATION
Region I member MARGARET ORDONEZ is offering her Textile
Conservation course June 14-25, 2004 at the University of
Rhode Island in Kingston. It is designed for museum staff
and volunteers working with costume and textile collections,
university faculty in charge of costume and textile
collections, Extension Service agents and specialists,
students with a special interest in textile conservation,
professional quilters and weavers, and antique dealers. The
course is an introduction to the conservation of historic
and ethnographic costumes and textiles. It covers handling,
analyzing, cleaning, repairing and stabilizing, storing and
exhibiting textile artifacts. Contact MARGARET for more info:
mailto:mordonez@uri.edu
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12. REQUESTS FROM MEMBERS
A. RESTORATION NEEDS: NORMA LU MEEHAN reports: "After the
huge success of the wedding exhibition at the Northern
Indiana Center for History last year, the three visiting
curators are organizing a campaign for restoration funds and
assistance. Three of the lovely gowns can never be shown
again without conservation. If any member would be
interested in helping our cause, please be in touch." For
more information, contact NORMA LU at
mailto:paperdoll@skyenet.net
B. BOOK PROPOSAL: Advice for designer cum first-time author?
New member ALLISON LEACH: "I am currently turning my
master's thesis, 'In a Theatrical Fashion: the Symbiotic
Disciplines of Fashion and Costume Design' into a book
proposal. I need practical advice about getting published in
this field, as well as expertise on the subject of
'cross-over' costume/fashion designers. Any advice, research
tips or resources you may be willing to offer are greatly
appreciated!" ALLISON can be reached at
mailto:reneeallison@excite.com.
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13. SEND IN YOUR NEWS!
"CSA E-News" needs YOU! Please send in your "pats on the
back" for you and colleagues as well as other news of
events, exhibitions and trips to Editor CORNELIA POWELL at
mailto:cpowell@corneliapowell.com. Please do not send to the
National Office. Send your news via email if at all
possible; your editor cannot promise to use any information
unless sent via email. Please always include if you are a
CSA member and if so, your region; also include your
title/position, all dates involved, contact info, and
website links. (Please have the words in your email "subject
box" clear that it is for "CSA E-News.") Deadlines are
usually around the 20th of the month. For the March
edition(s), get your news items in between February 20-26.
In the months that we have more than one edition -- and we
don't know until you send in your news items -- later
deadlines may be okay. Share your news!
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