Western Illinois Museum
06:30 PM - 08:00 PM on Tue, 21 May 2024
The Western Illinois Museum is pleased to welcome Illinois State Museum Curator of History Erika Holst to Our Front Porch for her presentation titled The Life Cycle of Clothing on Tuesday, May 21st at 6:30 pm. The one-hour presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session, and refreshments will be served. There is a suggested $5 donation at the door.
Americans invested a tremendous amount of labor into making and maintaining their wardrobes during the 19th century. This presentation will explore the life cycle of clothing during the 1800s: how an article of clothing was created, mended, remade, washed, and ultimately recycled. In addition, Holst will highlight examples of garments and artifacts from the Illinois State Museum’s collections.
A sister program will be presented by local Victorian ladies Stasia Bath and Nancy Chu one week before on Tuesday, May 14th at 6:30 pm titled A Victorian Secret: How 19th-Century Technology Influenced Women’s Dress and Fashion to introduce guests to related artifacts in the Western Illinois Museum’s collection and the influence of technology on innovations in 19th-century women’s fashion.
For further information, call 309-837-2750, text 309-837-2613, or email info@wimuseum.org.
About Erika Holst
Erika Holst is the Curator of History at the Illinois State Museum. Her most recent exhibition, on view in 2023, is Growing Up X, an exploration of the toys, technology, and cultural touchstones that shaped Generation X.
Erika has worked in the public history field for more than 15 years, during which time she has curated more than a dozen exhibitions. She is passionate about sharing stories of people and history through material culture. Before joining the Illinois State Museum, Erika served as Curator of Collections at the Edwards Place in Springfield, Illinois.
Erika’s publications include Wicked Springfield: Crime, Corruptions, and Scandal During the Lincoln Era; Edwards Place: A Springfield Treasure; and Historic Houses of Lincoln’s Illinois, as well as several scholarly and popular articles. She holds an MA from the Winterthur Program in Early American Culture and a BA from Illinois Wesleyan University.