Aurora exhibit on wedding dresses offers glimpse of history

It's a bit of a reality check when fashion from your era is now part of a history display.

Still, looking at the wedding dresses in the Aurora Historical Society's new "Here Comes the Bride" exhibit was a fun trip down memory lane, and yes, the gowns went much further back than the mid-1970s, I’m happy to report.

The oldest in this impressive 28-dress display is from 1853 – a two-piece silver and blue embroidered ensemble that features a hoop skirt, wide-belled sleeves and delicate fringe – worn by Emily Dent Davis when she married twice-widowed Samuel McCarty, founder of Aurora.

Do the math and this all hand-stitched creation is 170 years old.

Next to it is the dress worn in 1868 by Edith Sherman McClellan, a relative of Civil War General George McClellan, who came to Aurora from Bristol as a bride and married John Titsworth.

Great attention was paid to the fit and to the detail of the more than two dozen vintage wedding dresses now on display at the Aurora Historical Society's "Here Comes the Bride" exhibit open through Aug. 12. (Denise Crosby/The Beacon-News)

There's a compelling story behind many of these dresses, including the green ensemble worn by Susan Morley, who was married in 1874 but died the following year from childbirth complications.

There's also plenty of Aurora history in the collection, evident by the names we’ve grown accustomed to seeing around town for generations. For example, in 1892 newspaper and utility tycoon Ira Copley's bride Edith, a socialite from L.A, wore one of the first white/ivory gowns, which featured thick fabric, large mutton-chop sleeves and a heavy billowed bodice.

That wedding dress is a far cry from one of my favorites in this exhibit, a simple but sexy satin creation with capped sleeves that reminded me of a Vera Wang design and was, coincidentally, worn by a bride named Vera Kuk when she married Eugene Hunger in 1931.

The price of the gown also made me smile: $15.

Not only were wedding dresses far cheaper than today, they were noticeably smaller, with 19-20 inch waistlines that can likely be attributed to fewer fast food options and corseted bodies that started for girls at age 14.

Even though sewing machines were coming into use in the mid-1850s, McCarty's bride's wedding attire, which like most of these early dresses was worn multiple times, had been stitched totally by hand, noted Aurora Historical Society Executive Director John Jaros. Over the decades, more were purchased through department stores, while others were made by local seamstresses, including one bride who not only made her own gown in 1913 but stitched one for her sister-in-law the previous year.

The gowns in this exhibit were chosen in part for how they reflected trends of the time. For example, those from the mid-1940s were elaborate creations with yards of lace and tulle and long veils and trains that spoke to post-World War II prosperity, while the ‘50s and ‘60s revealed simpler but still elegant lines, including a Jackie O-style dress from ′64.

Also for your viewing pleasure, a mid-1840s silk wedding bodice and slippers for the bride of Asher Downer; a military-influenced woman's wedding suit worn in a city hall ceremony after World War II; and another of my favorites, a princess-style dress worn in 1957 by Patricia Broden Benson, who attended the members’ reception on Thursday with her daughter and granddaughter.

Jaros said he and his staff are working on contacting or tracking down those who might have connections to the dresses, whether it's a living bride or, in most cases, descendants.

Wedding gowns in the mid-1940s featured longer trains and veils, a reflection of post-war prosperity. (Denise Crosby/The Beacon-News)

As an added treat, there is a prominent display put together by Wolsfelt's Bridal, a premier sponsor of this exhibit (along with Old Second Bank and Reuland's) and celebrating 50 years in business. Co-owner Vicki Wolsfelt chose a magnificent beaded and feathered signature gown by designer Justin Alexander because of the "vintage feel" it offered.

When it comes to fashion "everything comes back," said Wolsfelt, adding that she's excited to be part of this beautiful exhibit that shows "just how much attention went into the fit and into every little detail" of these dresses.

"There is nothing they missed," she said of those who over the ages created these special gowns.

"Here Comes the Bride" runs through Aug. 12 at the Pierce Art and History Center, 20 E. Downer Place in downtown Aurora, with hours of noon to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

This is the Aurora Historical Society's first major wedding dress exhibit since 1997, noted Jaros, who admitted he's been putting in 12- to 18-hour days for the last three weeks making it all come together.

Jaros has had plenty of help, of course, from friends and family, including his own bride Kathy, whom he married last year in the first wedding in the historic William Tanner House in Aurora since 1882.

Kathy and daughter Kristina Carmichael also called upon Kristina's daughter Gwenna and her young friend Maggie Pendell, a fashion design student at West Aurora High School, who each spent hours repairing lace, hems and sleeves, and delicately steaming, hand-washing or spot-cleaning the clothing that is still treatable.

Some of the oldest silk creations require conservation efforts that would cost well into the thousands per dress, and therefore "it may be the last time they are shown," said Jaros.

There's a story behind many of the 28 wedding dresses in the Aurora Historical Society's "Here Comes the Bride" exhibit, which features bridal gowns from 1853 to 1976. (Aurora Historical Society/HANDOUT)

On the other hand, the cotton gowns, which came into vogue in the early 1900s, were gently washed by hand in hot water and sun-dried to keep them as pure as they were intended generations ago.

Some dresses took up to six hours to prepare before being carefully placed onto the forms that now sit atop platforms made by carpenter and museum supporter Peter Metrou, who supplied his labor for free.

"I’m really pleased we could do this," said Jaros, noting this exhibit nor only shows style changes through the ages, "which is interesting and important to document," it also offers yet another critical connection to those from Aurora's past.

"It's more than just pretty dresses," he said. "It's bringing history to the public."

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