American Style And Spirit : Fashion And Lives Of The Roddis Family 1850-1995 Hardcover

Jane Bradbury

Augusta Denton Roddis died aged 94 in 2011 in the family house on 1108 East Fourth Street, Marshfield, Wisconsin. It was here that Augusta chose to preserve her family history. The house became a museum filled with letters, photos, documents and trinkets, and in the attic the collection of vintage clothes dating back over 150 years. This unique archive unlocks complex and compelling stories involving one American family over several generations, revealing through clothes and accessories very personal details about the people and the way in which they lived.Fashion in the Life of an American Family, 1850-1985: The Roddis Collection presents an opportunity to see over 300 costumes and accessories, beautifully preserved and complemented by contemporary objects, letters, and family photographs. It combines tantalizing personal descriptions of whom the garments belonged to, when they were made or bought, and even where they were worn. Stunning photography by Doug Mindell reveals the design and craftsmanship of the clothing in glorious detail. The book opens with two engaging prefaces written by the authors: Jane Bradbury describes the joy of discovering the clothes in the collection for the first time, and Edward Maeder recalls how he was introduced to the Roddis Collection in 1972, and became its curator and historian in 2011. The book is then structured into a blend of chronological and thematic sections, with individual designers and salons discussed in detail supported by thumbnail images of the entire collection.

1851778896

9781851778898

English

V And A Publishing

1/Nov/16

304

Jane Bradbury studied at Sotheby's Works of Art Course in London and has an MA from New York University's Institute of Fine Arts. Edward Maeder has held curatorial positions at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York and the Los Angeles Museum of Art and was founding director of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto

Edward Maeder

There is nothing more powerful and potent than clothing and this book celebrates the extraordinary nature of ordinary lives, and the power of dress to bring history to life - Hamish Bowles, International Editor-at-Large, Vogue; This stunning book perfectly weaves together the fabric of fashion with the social history of America - Karen Augusta, Fashion appraiser and owner, Augusta Auction Company; substantive and mesmerizing - Alexandra Jacobs, New York Times, November 19th 2016; 'This rich account of personal and peer-group taste is not just an absorbing micro-history; it is of broader sociological interest...'- Rebecca Arnold, Times Literary Supplement, December 23rd 2016