For Immediate Release:
Contact: Lois Frankenberger, publicist
978.470.0040
lfrankenberger@comcast.net
SPECIAL EXHIBITION:
Reflections: Fashion, Dolls, and the Art of Growing Up
DATES: November 9, 2002 - March 23, 2003
HOURS: Tuesday - Friday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Thursday until 8 p.m. after Labor Day; Saturday, Sunday, most holidays 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
PLACE: American Textile History Museum, 491 Dutton St., Lowell, Mass.,
ADMISSION: Free with general Museum admission: $8 adults; $6 students and seniors; free for Museum members and children under 6. Free parking.
CALL: 978-441-0400 for exhibit and related events information.
WEBSITE: www.athm.org
Dress, block printed cotton, 1830-33
LOWELL, Mass. - Explore how generations of little girls' lives have been shaped by and are reflected in some of their most beloved playthings - their dolls. From Grandma's cherished porcelain-faced playmate to Shirley Temple, Barbie and Cabbage Patch, the exhibition is a nostalgic trip through childhood and a look at how girls' perceptions of themselves and the fashions they emulate have changed.
This holiday treat features enchanting domestic life-style scenes complete with costumes, dolls and toys from the early 1800s through the late 1900s. The installation draws on more than 200 pieces from public and private collections, and the Museum's own collections, to tell a story about growing up. Vignettes such as "Hands of Home," "All Dolled Up," and "When I Grow Up I'm Gonna Be..." offer then-and-now comparisons of the ways in which dolls have helped different generations of little girls develop their imaginations, learn practical skills, and grow from childhood to womanhood."
Reflections has been organized by the American Textile History Museum, and is funded in part by Enterprise Bank; and annual contributors to the Museum.
A series of lectures, workshops and events related to the exhibition is planned, including a Victorian Holiday Tea at the Museum. For more information, call 978.441.0400. Website: www.athm.org.
The American Textile History Museum tells America's story through the art, history and science of American textiles. It is home to an unparalleled collection of textiles and decorative arts, tools, machinery and workplace artifacts relating to American textile history from the 1700s to the present. The Museum opened in 1960 in North Andover, Massachusetts, and moved to Lowell in 1997 to better serve the public. The Lowell facility is an 1860 textile machine factory renovated by the Museum. Public attractions include the Textiles in America ongoing exhibition where fabric is woven on vintage looms for the Museum's heirLooms™ collection of products, the Special Exhibition Gallery, the Textile Learning Center, and the Seasoned Chef Gazebo Cafe. The Museum also supports the interests of visitors, collectors, and researchers by appointment with a function facilities program, the Museum Collections, the Textile Conservation Center, the Osborne Library, and the Webster Education Center.
Museum hours are: Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday, to 8 p.m. (Labor Day through Memorial Day); Saturday, Sunday and most holidays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults; $6 for students, seniors, and groups; free for children under 6 and Museum members. Museum parking is free, and the building is wheelchair accessible.
The Museum is located at 491 Dutton Street adjacent to Lowell's National Historical Park. Take Route I-495 North or South to the Lowell Connector (exit 35C). Take exit 5B to Thorndike Street. Go through four sets of traffic lights, and turn left into Museum parking lot.
