Beautiful historic clothing photography

Beautiful historic clothing photography

• 10.07.2010

I've mentioned before my nerdy hobby and my mom's business making historic clothing for historic sites, museums, and reenactors.  A lot of you have an interest or experience with historic clothing, as well!
It's funny how connected these and other hobbies and interests can be--there are more occasions than you'd think to wear historic clothing.  The historical society in the town where I grew up, Hillsboro Historic Society, has events periodically and this year it's a festive market and formal dance for people who love any kind of history!
They're throwing the Time Traveler's Marketplace and Ball event in Downtown Hillsboro next Saturday--during the day, a market of historic-to-any-era clothing, accessories, artifacts, and all kinds of goodies to outfit attendees for the ball in the evening, held in a circa-1912 dance hall on Main Street, complete with live music and dance callers from several eras.

Anyway, one of the downtown businesses participating is Aedan Studio, a photography studio run by talented Melissa Mills-Koffel, who does all kinds of photography.  At the ball, she'll have a space set up to take portraits, so as a promotion for her services there, she did some photos of us in some historic clothing we have.  We looked through books of antique photographs to get the basic look of those old tintypes.

I thought you might like to see some of the lovely historic clothing my mom has made through her business, usually for us to wear at fashion shows or teas.  Here I am in an 1870's polonaise ensemble, a lightweight yellow wool with copper silk and braid trim.  And a silly little (but period-appropriate) "hat"!

Melissa tried out some with the antique-look effect... 

Here's a lightweight wool 1910 dress:

At another session, she did photos of my mom in an 1870's three-piece dress:

And the black/white version:

And some of my cousin and her daughter in Regency (this one's an 1805) attire:

And some of my cousin in a 1930's silk bias-cut evening gown:

And made old-fashioned-looking:

We're all busy this week getting ready for the Time Traveler's Marketplace and Ball, sewing new clothes for us and for promotion, coordinating with vendors and sponsors, thinking about getting the ballroom decorated.  Needless to say, if you live anywhere near Portland or the Portland area, and have an interest in any historic era, come on out to the Time Traveler's Marketplace and Ball in Downtown Hillsboro this Saturday afternoon and evening!