Have you been to the Chicago History Museum lately? For a few brief weeks we have an unprecedented happenstance in our midst—the most costume pieces we’ve ever displayed at one time. Chic Chicago: Couture Treasures from the Chicago History Museum closes on July 26th, and on May 24th we premiered Bertha Honoré Palmer.

Mrs. Palmer left behind an incredible wardrobe, filled with stunning garments that are also incredibly challenging to transport around the museum. These gowns are dripping with beads and trimmings, feature lengthy trains, and in one case the fabric is woven out of metal. Preparing the mannequins and installing them in the gallery was no mean feat, but the opulence is worth the effort.

All challenges aside, it was good fun. Here’s a little slide show of behind-the-scenes images from the exhibition installation. Hope you enjoy! And be sure to stop by the museum before Chic Chicago closes; this is a rare opportunity to see so many amazing garments gracing our galleries.

> Learn more about Bertha Honoré Palmer
> Purchase a copy of the Bertha Honoré Palmer catalogue

> Learn more about Chic Chicago
> Purchase a copy of the Chic Chicago catalogue

Tags: Behind the Scenes, Bertha Honoré Palmer, Chic Chicago, Collections, Exhibitions, Meghan Smith

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 at 3:55 pm and is filed under Collections, Exhibitions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.