Passion for history wrapped in Canadian clothing
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/06/2023 (1079 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Volunteering is always in fashion at the Costume Museum of Canada.
Last year, the group of around 30 people who give their time to the museum racked up more than 6,000 volunteer hours.
“Our volunteers are involved in every aspect of the museum,” says Barb Howie, volunteer co-ordinator. “Their continued support, hard work and innovative ideas for the museum go beyond deserving a simple pat on the back. Where would we be without (them)?”
JESSICA LEE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
‘I’m always finding out interesting facts. There’s always some little tidbit of information to learn,’ says Costume Museum of Canada volunteer Debra Akister (left), with volunteer co-ordinator Barb Howie.
Started in 1983, and located in Winnipeg since 2007, the museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation and presentation of clothing worn by Canadians over the decades. Its collection contains 38,000 artifacts, valued at several million dollars.
Located at 410-70 Arthur St., the museum is open to the public on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and by appointment on Saturdays.
For Debra Akister, volunteering is a great way to indulge her passion for the past.
“I love history,” says Akister, who retired in 2016, following a 27-year career with MTS. “Some of the volunteers here are seamstresses and tailors, and they appreciate the beauty and the art form. Some of the volunteers are followers of fashion.
“My interest is in the history, because fashion always follows the dictates of the historical period.”
The 62-year-old points to one of the museum’s earliest artifacts, a two-piece silk taffeta gown with blue and white stripes, dated circa 1765, as an example.
The dress features a pannier hoop skirt that gives it a wide silhouette. Dresses like these had influence on architecture, since the double doors known as French doors were required to accommodate the wide skirts.
“I’m always finding out interesting facts,” Akister says. “There’s always some little tidbit of information to learn.”
Amelia Carlson was drawn to volunteering at the museum because of her lifelong love of clothing and textiles.
“Since I was very small, all I ever wanted to do was make clothes and costumes,” says Carlson, a student in the University of Winnipeg’s theatre and film department, who hopes to pursue a professional costuming career.
Since joining the museum last month, the 22-year-old has served as a guide at its latest exhibit, 200 Years of Canadian Fashion.
“To get to be around all these beautiful pieces, and to get to be able to tell other people about them and share the history with people who come in here, is really nice,” she says.
Carlson has also catalogued clothing at the museum’s warehouse. “It’s super fun and informative to learn about how clothes were constructed and how to preserve them properly.”
Howie is looking for more volunteers to give tours of exhibits, as well as volunteers to assist in repacking, photographing and documenting items in the museum’s collection. (Contact costumemuseumcanada@gmail.com to get involved.)
“It’s just wonderful to think about where these clothes have been and the stories they can tell,” Howie says. “That’s what makes it so much fun to share them with other people.”
If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp@gmail.com
fpcity@freepress.mb.ca
Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. Read more about Aaron.
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History
Updated on Tuesday, June 20, 2023 11:17 AM CDT: Updates with information on museum's location and hours