A bonnet that a lady would have worn in the 1860s, an Edwardian hat circa 1905, a farmer’s wife’s dress circa 1910 and a 1920s sequin dress are among the pieces on display at Orland Park History Museum.
Fashionistas Through the Decades: The History of Ladies Fashion, which opened in September, wraps its run Jan. 4 in Orland Park.
“We have shoes, hats, gloves, purses and some accessories that women would have worn with their attire through the decades,” said Sarah Stasukewicz, Orland Park History Museum curator.
“We give a nice, broad view of the history of women’s fashion and how things changed through the decades. We use actual pieces from the museum’s permanent collection to tell that story.”
Stasukewicz, of Frankfort, said Fashionistas Through the Decades features approximately 100 pieces from the mid-1800s to the 1980s.
An 1890s Mollie Myrick Jackson dress is among those items.
“It shows a good example of Victorian style. The Myricks settled in Orland Park in the mid-1800s so the dress does have a strong connection to Orland Park because the Myricks were a big family here,” she said.
“We also have a reproduction crinoline skirt so people can see what hoop skirts looked like and how big and full they made the dress. We feature mourning attire. That was something big in women’s fashion. We show how the dresses changed especially with the sleeves.
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“We have a large spinning wheel from the mid-1800s so people can see how women would have made their clothes especially since Orland Park was such a farming community.”
Stasukewicz said Orland Park History Museum has a permanent collection of more than 15,000 items such as a 1900 hose cart donated by Orland Fire Protection District. The museum displays a timeline starting with early settlers in the 1830s and ending when the village hall complex opened in 1989.
The museum also has partnered with Stellwagen Farm to further preserve local history.
“We’re a local history museum so of course we focus on Orland Park and the Orland Park area. We do have items pertaining to state and national history but the majority of our collection is just Orland Park-related,” she said.
“We’re passionate about what we do. We greet visitors as if they’re part of our team. We want to engage with people. We want to talk with them. We love to hear their stories if they or their families grew up here.
“Our exhibits change every four to six months so we always have something new for visitors. It’s not like we’re a musty place where once you’ve come, you’ve already seen it and you won’t come back again. We constantly try to remove items that have been on display for a while and put out new pieces.”
Orland Park History Museum’s next exhibit, School’s in Session: The Story of Orland Park Schools, opens Jan. 25 and runs to June 20. A special event from noon-2 p.m. on opening day features a discussion about the show, which includes school ledger books from as early as the 1850s and yearbooks.
Upcoming programs include Joseph Geringer presenting Capone and Ness: The True Story of the Untouchables at 11 a.m. Feb. 15 and four men portraying Ulysses S. Grant, George Meade, William Tecumseh Sherman and Edward Ord in Lincoln’s Generals at 11 a.m. March 7.
Fashionistas Through the Decades: The History of Ladies Fashion
When: through Jan. 4; 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays; noon-4 p.m. Tuesdays; closed Fridays, Sundays-Mondays and Wednesdays; by appointment
Where: Orland Park History Museum, 14415 Beacon Ave., Orland Park
Admission: free
Information: 708-873-1622; www.facebook.com/orlandparkhistorymuseum
Jessi Virtusio is a freelancer for the Daily Southtown.