A variety of fashion from the late 1800s through nearly the end of the 1900s is on exhibit at the Ramona Heritage Museum.
“Ramona Styled — The History of Women’s Clothing in Ramona,” at the museum’s Barnett Barn, covers clothing from 1880 to 1980, said Leslie Delaney, curator at the museum, formerly the Guy B. Woodward Museum.
The exhibit features clothing from the museum’s collection, including wedding gowns, hats, swimsuits, mourning clothes and accouterments. Many of the pieces have seldom been seen by the public.
“Even though these people lived hundreds of years before us, they were just like us in many ways. They kept a selection of trendy clothes, as well as their staple outfits. Their clothing showcased their personality, not just their status,” Delaney said.
The barn is filled with vintage clothing and accessories. In one corner, a 1910 black mourning dress is displayed on a mannequin.
“Mourning clothes were worn by women of the time when their husband or a close family member died. It was a show of grief and the clothes were usually black,” Delaney said.
“In the beginning of the mourning stage, the clothes were often kept simple and were flat black. As time passed, the owners often added embellishments and sometimes even a bit more color,” she said, pointing out that the dress was worn “probably near the end of the mourning state.”
Details on the dress give away the timing.
“There is a tiny strip of navy at the neckline, as well as some lace,” she said. “Although the lace appears brown, it would have been white at the time; the fabrics they used then weren’t always stable and often the whites faded to brown, and so did the black mourning clothes.
“There isn’t a lot that survived in the original color.”
In contrast to the women, men in mourning would usually wear a black armband on their sleeve for a couple of months, she said.
Among museum visitors’ favorites pieces are men and women’s swimsuits from the 50s, displayed on a wall, she said.
Swimwear from the past is part of the “Ramona Styled” exhibit on display at the Ramona Heritage Museum. (Ted Delaney)
“We have 25 or 30 pieces in the collection, everything from old knit to woolen ones, even a cute little polka dot bikini,” Delaney said. “People don’t always think about it, but folks came in a variety of sizes back then, just like today.”
One of the plus-size women’s suits has a hidden pocket, while the men’s feature “holes” or open areas under the arms.
“They were not quite shirtless back then,” she said.
A close up of the details of one of the vintage wedding dresses on display. (Regina Elling)
Three wedding dresses, a go-go dress, and clothing accessories, such as hats, collars and costume jewelry, are also on display.
“These clothes represent exactly what Ramona would have worn back in the day and not a movie or romanticized version,” Delaney said. “The exhibit shows that it’s important for us to retain our history, to stay grounded.”
The exhibit will be open until Nov. 1.
Delaney has not only been busy setting up the exhibit on the museum grounds, but also entered an outfit in this year’s San Diego County Fair.
A dress made by Leslie Delaney from turkey feathers in the style of Ramona’s former Turkey Days won big at this year’s San Diego County Fair, taking home First Place, Division Winner and Best of Show in the Home Arts Show, in the Clothing and Fashion Section under the Historical Interpretations Division. The dress will be on display at the Ramona Heritage Museum after July 10. (Courtesy Leslie Delaney)
Her re-creation of a Ramona Turkey Days dress, made of turkey feathers, “represents the history of Ramona’s turkey production heydays of 1935 to 1941,” she said.
The dress won First Place, Division Winner and Best of Show in the Home Arts Show, in the Clothing and Fashion Section under the Historical Interpretations Division, she said.
“I’ve been fascinated by the Turkey Queen dresses since I first heard about them in my teens,” she said. “Last year, the museum had an open invitation to create an outfit inspired by the Turkey Day garments from the 1930s and 40s, so I jumped at the chance to make a dress out of feathers.”
Delaney said some local rancher friends donated a few hundred feathers to her from their flock of heirloom turkeys.
“The feathers had to be heated to flatten them, which took several hours. Then I started sewing and gluing them to make a cocktail dress,” she said.
The dress took about 80 hours to construct.
“It is wearable — it zips up the side — but is very uncomfortable because it is so stiff and hot,” she said.
Since there were at least 100 outfits entered, Delaney said she was nervous about her entry.
“I was so excited when my husband, Ted and I spied the dress on display,” she said. “It was covered in ribbons.”
Afterward, she said there was an awards ceremony and reception, and she was able to meet others who had also entered the competition.
The dress will be on display until the end of the Fair on July 10. It can be seen at the museum after that.
A one-day only quilt show was held at the Museum on June 27. All quilts were vintage and hand stitched. The quilts are only on
display once a year to help preserve their condition. (Ted Delaney)
One of the vintage quilts on display at a one-day-only quilt show held at Ramona Heritage Museum showcased local trails and riding clubs. In addition to sackcloth and leather pieces, the denim fabric used for the quilt is said to be from Casey Tibbs’ jeans. (Ted Delaney)
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A one-day only quilt show was held at the Museum on June 27. All quilts were vintage and hand stitched. The quilts are only on
display once a year to help preserve their condition. (Ted Delaney)
For more information about the “Ramona Styled” exhibit, visit the museum at 645 Main St., go to woodwardmuseumramona.com/ or call 760-789-7644. The museum is open on Saturdays, weather permitting, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.