Mentioning Unmentionables and More!

It took four helpers to get the corset laced up tight!  Photo by Tucker.

Yesterday, our Community Historians were treated to a rare program, indeed!  Tames Alan,  actress, historian, and fashion history teacher, brought us “The Intrepid Victorian Traveler.”  Billed as “a five-costume program,” she gave us a look at the clothing and lifestyle of a Victorian woman during the mid-1850s throught the early 1860s.

The program fit right into the focus of Community Historians this year — the grand resort hotels of the 19th century here at the North Beach.  It was a time when families “removed” to the seashore from the hot inland valleys of Oregon — some to “camp” in tents they could rent in Tinkerville (now Long Beach), and the more affluent to stay in upscale accommodations such as the Shelburne or the Breakers or the Driftwood hotels.

Next, the hoop!  Photo by Tucker.

Tames first appeared in a wrapper (our equivalent: a bathrobe) and told how a Victorian woan began her day.  Then, before our very eyes, she dressed for travel to the seaside, beginning with a complete (and extensive!) set of Victorian undergarments, discussing their various functions.  Finally, she prepared for a formal dinner and dance, all the time discussing the many layers women wore, the tight lacing of the corset, the circumference of the hoops, the weight of the clothing (which could reach 2oo lbs.).  As she demonstrated the restrictions  Victorian clothing placed upon a woman’s movements, she also spoke of the social constrictions placed upon women at all levels of society.

Ready For The Journey

A fabulous program!  If you ever have an opportunity to see Tames Alan in performance, don’t think twice!  You’ll love her!  And, if you’re like I am, afterwards you’ll appreciate your jeans and sweatshirts even more than usual!

2 Responses to “Mentioning Unmentionables and More!”

  1. LeeAnne Campos says:

    Small world, Sydney! Tames and I are friends and work together for the Bremerton WestSound Symphony. She’s fabulous! I hope you’re well.

  2. sydney says:

    Why am I not surprised, LeeAnne! All the “quality” people seem to travel in the same circles! Tell Tames that we LOVED her presentation. It even prompted me to get out my grandmother’s 1897 wedding duds to show to friends at our usual Friday Night Gathering here in Oysterville. Tell her my granny’s “split-leg bloomers” were a huge hit, thanks to her set-up at our Community Historians class! (Several who had been in the audience were among those here for my show-and-tell!
    Looking forward to seeing you this summer — at least I hope so. Now that I’m not doing the Vesper scheduling, I’m sort of out of the loop!
    Sydney

Leave a Reply