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Friday, October 3, 2014

Downton Abbey


The costumes from the Downton Abbey TV series have been one of Winterthur's most popular exhibitions.  It continues through January 4, 2015, which happens to be when Season 5 begins here.  I will admit right up front that I lost interest in the TV series after the second season when PBS started running it past 10:00!  But I have kept up with the buzz about it from time to time whenever people have commented about the show on Susan Branch's website.  I know that I have several readers of my Blog who love Downton Abbey, so this post is for you. 

I hope you will enjoy this brief tour.  I did not capture every costume or every sign.  There were too many people in the way at the beginning of the exhibit to get good photos, and I neglected to go back later because of my gift shop "adventure" at the end. So, you might enjoy reading these articles by others who have visited the exhibit for more information:  Washington Post; Smithsonian; Huffington Post; and this is an interview with Maggie Lidz, one of the three co-curators of the exhibit.  Note:  To make the photos larger, click on them.

Outside the Museum. . . .
This large poster hung at the foot of the stairs leading up to the exhibit. . . .
Our cast of characters. . . .
The downstairs uniforms. . . .
Mrs. Patmore's dress and the kitchen staff. . . .
This was interesting to me because I have those same blue glasses, but am missing several due to breakage.  I wanted to ask someone if they'd sell them to me when the exhibit was done with them. . . .
Summer dresses, Lady Mary, far right. . . .

This dress worn by Cora was particularly lovely in person. . . .
Day dresses for Cora, Countess of Grantham, and Lady Mary. . . .
Fabulous hat. . . .
Matthew's pinstripe suit worn in Season 3. . . .
O'Brien's dress worn in Season 2. . . .
Interspersed in the exhibit were tidbits about the du Pont family.  This is Ruth du Pont with her daughter,  Pauline, 1921.  The case is her traveling case and would have been carried and maintained by her Lady's Maid, Juliette Dordonette (in lower left photo). . . .
It contained everything you can imagine a Lady's Maid would need to keep her mistress looking good, including her clothing.  It also held stationery supplies. . . .
Shooting Tweeds worn in Season 2. . . .
Walking suit worn by Lady Mary in Season 1 and Cricket outfit worn by Matthew in Season 3. . . .
Coats for Cora, Violet, Edith, and Martha. . . .
Violet, Dowager Countess's coat. . . .
Lady Sybil's and Lady Mary's dresses at Lady Edith's wedding. . . .
Lady Edith's wedding dress. . . .
Lady Sybil's harem pants, Season 1. . . .
Evening dress for Lady Mary and Lady Sybil, Season 2. . . .
Changing for dinner.  Dresses worn by Lady Sybil, Cora, Countess of Grantham, and Violet, Dowager Countess when she asks, "What is a weekend?". . . .

The proposal!  They had the scene playing in the background. . . .
Carson, the butler. . . .
The ladies' gloves. . . .
Cora's evening dress.  The panel down the front is vintage. . . .
Evening dress for Isobel Crawley, Violet, Dowager Countess, and Martha Levinson. . . .
An original evening dress for Lady Rose, Season Four. . . .
Afternoon tea was served at Winterthur between 4:30 and 6:00 p.m. . . . .
This pillow caught my eye in the gift shop, but I didn't buy it because I know my sons and daughters-in-law would not agree with the Dowager Countess of Grantham. . . !
However, I did buy tea.  Grantham's Breakfast Tea (organic assam black tea with ginger) . . .
 . . . .and Lady Cora's Evening Tea (caffeine-free blend of chamomile and lemon verbena). . . .
The interesting story behind this purchase is I was waiting in line to pay for my purchase when I noticed the sign that indicated if I spent $100 I could get 25% off my purchase!  Hmmmm.....you know me, bargain hunter.  I hadn't seen anything else I just had to have, so in jest I pointed to the sign and spoke to the lady ahead of me that if we spent $100 between us we could get that discount.  Well, it turns out the item of clothing she was buying WOULD put us above $100 and she thought it was a great idea!  So we hurriedly did the math in our heads (several times), I gave her cash for my purchase minus the 25% off, and she paid for everything.  I'm glad she remembered to ask for a separate bag for the tea.  As it was, I worried I'd be stopped and asked to show a receipt, which I didn't have!  I told her I wanted her to escort me out of the exhibit.  ☺ But then her friends appeared and she was too excited to show them her purchase and tell them she got it for 25% off, which was a great deal because her item was almost $80.  At this point she was no longer paying attention to me, so I gathered my courage and strode confidently out the door to where Ken was waiting for me.  I never did get her name.  If you want to shop at the store you can do so here:  Winterthur Store  The article of clothing the stranger bought isn't on-line, however.  It was rather nice--was some sort of jacket fashioned after one worn on the show.

Here is another Blogger's wonderful 3-part post with CLOSE-UP photos of the costumes.

Don't miss this video about the exhibit that also shows several rooms inside Winterthur:

                
Downton Abbey® Costumes Exhibition at Winterthur from Jill Frechie on Vimeo.

Check out this article about life inside the real Downton Abbey.

If you can't make it to Delaware to see the Winterthur exhibit, there's good news.  It's coming to Biltmore in Ashville, NC in February 2015!

You may also enjoy this documentary about the life of real British servants:  Servants - The True Story of Life Below Stairs

16 comments:

  1. Hello Cathy,
    What a beautiful post, I do love period dress & the delicate dresses, it is such a shame we don't wear much lace anymore.
    We have started the fifth series in England & it will be the third episode this Sunday.
    Have a lovely weekend.
    Fondly Michelle

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    1. I agree. I've started collecting vintage Laura Ashley recently and found several dresses in a thrift shop for $6 each!

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  2. A wonderful way to spend a dreary British lunchtime, soaking up the atmosphere of Downton Abbey by way of your lovely photographs and writings.
    I am so sorry you no longer watch it, but what a silly time to air such a popular programme!
    I studied fashion design, and later art history, at art college and I am certain that, with my love for art and history, I would have worked in the film industry in wardrobe, or maybe as a conservationist in a museum. Of course, life gets in the way of these things!
    Thank you, not only for this, but for the links to other places too ~ I can never get enough of such things!
    Now, I must get back to my soup, it is getting cold!
    ~~~waving~~~

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    1. I think the time period isn't my favorite. I prefer programs set in the 19th century, otherwise I might have stayed up past my bedtime to watch it.

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  3. Cathy, wonderful exhibit and info. How funny about your purchase! You sound like me ... a stickler for following rules and a worrier of the 'what-ifs!' As for the airing times of the show, I was able to watch it the following day online at PBS at my convenience. Netflix also helped fill in some gaps. Thanks for doing such a good job of photographing and describing.

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    1. I glad you liked the post. I hardly watch TV anymore so to make time to watch something at my leisure just isn't on my radar. I guess I just wasn't that interested in it to bother.

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  4. What a lovely post! While not a fan of this show, the costuming/clothing is divine...I truly think I would have been very comfortable wearing them. Especially the lace "jacket/coat" worn by lady Edith...Beautiful! Brings to mind the clothing in a series that I enjoyed quite a bit, "The House of Eliott". Thank you for the tour and congrats on eluding the receipt checkers and your quick thinking that yielded you a 25% savings! ~ Donna E.

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    1. You can see why they needed ladies' maids. So many dress changes in one day! That part I wouldn't care for. ☺

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  5. What a lovely treat on this cloudy evening as I sip my tea. Vintage clothing is so well made and of course for the aristocrats there is always much attention to detail. Even the sevants clothing is lovely. I used to make all the clothing for my children when they were small and I appreciate all the beautiful details such clothing involves. I love the Lady's Maid traveling case--very clever. Great score on teaming up with a fellow shopper! ♥

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    1. When it comes to ladies shopping there are no true strangers. Standing in line brings out the chattiness in me.☺ Do you still sew?! How wonderful that you made your children's clothes. I had plans to, but then I had boys and did not find their clothes as fun to make, especially when they outgrew and wore them out so quickly.

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  6. This was so much fun to read Cathy and with all the links! Thank you. Such gorgeous outfits with so much detail. I do watch DA and recognize the outfits. Thanks for the tip that it is coming down our way in the winter. Hope you have a good weekend.

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed the post! You'll have to do a post about your visit to Biltm's exhibit and give us your thoughts about it. I wonder if they'll do it any differently. Thanks for the good weekend wishes. We (the whole family) are helping Olivia June's parents move today and tomorrow going to brunch at #2 son's house, so it should be a great weekend with family.

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  7. Wow, Cathy! Excellent job. You included such great detailed captions for each photo [which were also excellent I must add] You must have made a massive stack of notes during your visit. I love "Downton Abbey" but I don't think I'd like wearing the clothing of the day too much. A lot of it looks quite delicate. The kind of things you have to be very careful wearing. And I like NOT having to worry about my clothes. For some reason I really like hats though. The "pulled together" look of hats and gloves and matching shoes always looks "right" to me. If I had to have a "professional" wardrobe I'd include a fair number of stylish hats. A lot easier to get in the UK though. I think they still wear hats to church there. When the Catholic Church ended that practiceI think it pretty much flattened the millinery industry here in the US. I love that photo you had a while back of Olivia in the swim suit you got for her, and the cutest hat her Mom bought. Adorable... And I love that you pooled your purchases with a fellow shopper to get a bargain - a brilliant strategy. One that wouldn't have occurred to me until I was driving home. LOL. If then! PS - is Olivia "dressing" for Halloween this year?? OK take care and talk to you soon. xoxo

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    1. Actually, when I realized you wouldn't be able to read the little signs below each dress I added the tidbits myself. In the future I'll have to take close-up photos of everything so I have all the information you'll need to enjoy the tour. I love hats, too, but my head is too large for most! Plus, they never seem to go with my hairstyle (bangs). I found a monkey costume for Olivia June at a yard sale that comes with a banana sticking out of it's pocket! Her mother calls her a "little monkey" so it seemed appropriate. ☺ I also found a pumpkin costume with a little pumpkin hat. I'll post photos next month I'm sure of her in one or both costumes.

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    2. Olivia will be adorable in both costumes! My niece Julia was born exactly 2 weeks before Halloween and my Mom found a flannel pumpkin suit at a garage sale too - with a little flannel pumpkin "stem" cap to go with it - and she was so cute in it.

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  8. Hello Everyone....I just added a new link (at the end of this post) to Britain magazine's article about life at the real Downton Abbey.

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