P.E.I. Historic and Reproduction Clothing

Friday 11 March 2016

Winter 2015-2016

It's been a little quiet on the costuming front here this winter. However, the clothing is never out of mind as you can see in the photo below ( the yellow dress is a replica of "Anne of Green Gables" Puffed Sleeve Dress ). The collection is ever growing!

Last week I helped some friends outfit themselves for a Downton Abbey dinner party for this weekend. We used, and slightly modified, some of the early 1900's costumes we made in 2008 for the Cavendish Parade & Tea Party (the three photos below) when we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the publishing of Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery.

Vintage Hats

Recently I added a few 1950s - 1970's hats to my collection. Surprisingly they've been coming up fairly often at local auctions here on Prince Edward Island.
Recently I bought the pink hat below on the right which came in the "Adella's Millinery" box.

The two hats below were given to me by a cousin of my mothers, Mrs. Harriett (Carew) Frizzell - she wore the blue hat to her daughters wedding in 1972, 44 years ago.
It's hard to believe these were fashionable as recent as the 70's!

The maeve hat below also came from a recent auction.

Here's Gracie Finley below weather the maeve hat for an upcoming production of Blythe Spirit.

Here's the colourful collection!

Vintage Flappers Dress

The great thing about making period clothing and costumes and becoming known for such work and collections, is that people give me historical clothing as they know I will restore and look after them.

One such piece is this 1920's flappers dress given to me in the fall of 2015 by the grand-daughter of Mrs. Raoul Reymond. Mrs. Reymond and her husband came to the Stratford area of Prince Edward Island in 1925 from Geneva, Switzerland. They came to take advantage of the lucrative fox breeding industry. After the fox fur went out of fashion they turned to inn-keeping in summer at Dalvay-by-the-Sea and teaching music in winter to many Charlottetown families. (c.f. www.dalvaybythesea.com/history)

Thursday 16 October 2014

The Gray's - new statue on Great George St., Charlottetown

The other evening I was downtown and posed with the new statue of Father's of Confederation John Hamilton Gray, Premier of PEI and John Hamilton Gray, a New Brunswick politician, as they might have conversed in 1864.
The bronze statue was made by Nathan Scott of Brentwood Bay, B.C. and located on the east side of Great George Street in front of the Inns on Great George Street -St. Dunstan's Basilica church is in the background.

Friday 26 September 2014

Annabelle and I

Here I am with Annabelle - she's sitting on the "0" of the big 2014 at Confederation Landing in Charlottetown!

Here's the rest of us!

Wednesday 24 September 2014

1864 Display at Confederation Court Mall

I was asked to supply period clothing for a display at the Confederation Court Mall in the area that connects to the underground passage to the Confederation Center of the Arts. Here's a link to their Facebook page including their photo and quote...

https://www.facebook.com/concourtmall/photos/pb.142700265797650.-2207520000.1411577139./721405494593788/?type=3&theater

Here's their quote that goes with this posting on August 29th...
"Glorious period costumes from Arnold Smith are on display at The Confederation Court Mall lower level. Also on display is an 1800's music box. Happy Founder Week!"

Townspeople greeting the Father's of Confederation

I was asked to gather a collection of 14 people and outfit them in period clothing to represent the townspeople of Charlottetown as the re-enactment of the arrival of John A. MacDonald coming ashore at the foot of Great George Street for the Charlottetown Conference, September 1864.
Here's the photo of the folks I gathered together for the re-enactment. This Guardian newspaper photo appeared on their website later that day, August 30th...