In 1882, there were 64 millionaires living in Chicago. By the beginning of 1890, that number had more than tripled.
That`s just one of the bits of fascinating-and quite relevant-background that Virgil C. Johnson unearthed as he prepared to mount an exhibition opening today at the Chicago Historical Society. Called ”The Proper Lady: Fashion and Etiquette in the 1880s,” the panorama of clothes, jewelry and calling cards focuses on the urban elite of the decade, though Johnson says ”cows, cussin` and cuspidors” were also a part of that period and cannot be overlooked.
Cuspidors and such, however, are not what the exhibit`s about.
Thirty-five mannequins (mostly quite short and very corseted) will be wearing some of the most elegant vintage gowns from the society`s extensive collection of mint-condition `80s clothing. That means everything from morning wrappers to promenade outfits to tea gowns and evening attire-a typical wardrobe for the elite woman whose activities required five or six changes of clothing during the course of a day. Special-occasion dresses include bridal gowns (do not miss the one with the 17-inch waist) and fashions for the various stages of mourning, as well.
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Johnson, guest curator of the exhibition (as well as Chair of Design Studies at Northwestern University`s School of Speech), has been working on pulling together ”Proper Lady” for a year, since the society`s former costume curator, Elizabeth Jachimowicz, approached him with the concept for the exhibition.
The affable Johnson entertained the society`s Costume Committee and members of Fashion Group late last week when he gave a behind-the-scenes preview of ”Proper Lady,” noting that hairdos, for example, indicated time of day, just as the absence or length of a train revealed whether a gown was a ”reception dress” (trained) or a ”walking dress” (streets were too dusty for trains).
The exhibit continues through Feb. 11 at the Historical Society, Clark Street and North Avenue. For information, call 642-4600.