Historical Society Slates Program On

300 Years Of Clothing

If clothes make the man, as the saying goes, it would be a good idea to take a look at those clothes to see just what is being made. The Newtown Historical Society will take just such a look at its October program, “Treasures of the Past: Clothing of the Past 300 Years.” The program will be held Tuesday, October 11, at 7:30 pm, in the Community Room of Booth Library, 25 Main Street.

Please note the Tuesday date to accommodate the Columbus Day holiday.

Newtown resident Donna Locke will offer the program. She promises “a brief overview of clothing of the 18th Century, more detail on the 19th, and a brief touch on 20th Century dress,” some of which may bring back fond (or embarrassing) memories. Ms Locke suggests the study of the history of costume leads her “on a journey through time and space to civilizations either long past, or sometimes just past. Records of costume live not only in the clothing itself, but in the arts of every civilization. Indelible records are found in sculpture, mosaics, pottery, manuscripts, frescoes and paintings. For our recent history, we are fortunate to have much of this data available and preserved for us.”

Ms Locke will show many samples of clothing to illustrate her talk. Some of these examples will be taken from the outstanding collection of clothing artifacts in the Newtown Historical Society collections. She will also take the time to answer questions about clothing identification, dating, and storage recommendations.

Donna Locke has a master’s degree in material culture, with a concentration in historic costume. She taught history of dress and other classes at UConn for ten years before moving to Newtown. She has served on the board of directors of The Costume Society of America for 20 years, and is a past president of the society. She also serves on the board of directors of Danbury Music Centre, plays oboe with Danbury Symphony Orchestra, and offers oboe lessons from her home.

All Newtown Historical Society programs are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served at the program’s conclusion. For further information call the society at 426-5937.