Up close & Personal at V&A East
Did you know you can get up close and personal with thousands of historical artefacts (not all at once, mind you), at the newly-opened V&A East storehouse?
If you saw my last blog post, you'll know that I'm on a mission to build on my knowledge of historical trims, starting with the era that has long inspired me, the 18th Century. When I heard about the V&A's 'Order an Object' service, I could hardly believe it. You choose up to 5 items from their collection, and then view them privately, up close, and if they are sturdy enough, have a good poke around and inspect them too.
Looking at the items that were available to be viewed, I was amazed at the range and there were even some textiles from before the 15th Century! After an hour or so of feeling like a kid in a candy shop, I settled on 2 gowns with matching petticoats, a jacket, and 3 pairs of shoes, all dating from between 1720 and 1790.
The museum/storehouse itself is a very interesting concept. I'd say it is somewhere between a well organised antique store, and the area of Ikea that has all of the boxes to collect your flat-pack furniture. It is a working storehouse, and staff are going about their business retrieving items, and you can even watch the conservators at work.
When I arrived, I was asked to put my belongings (minus my phone and notebook) in a locker and wash my hands, then I was allowed in to view my items! These are the items I chose:
Silk shoe and patten (1720 - 1730)
1750's Pair of embroidered shoes
1750's Bodice with incredible patterned silk and metallic braid
1770's wedding dress with metallic fringe and spangles (sequins)
1770's Gown and petticoat with gimp braid trim
It was amazing to see the garments up close, including the intricate details of the metallic trims, and even the handmade metallic fringe with 'spangles' (aka sequins). It shocked me how the sewing techniques and designs of trimmings felt so familiar, despite being 250+ years old. The stitches reminded me of my own handmade work, and the trims reminded me of ones we sell and produce today.
If you're at all into historical clothing or textiles (or most other art forms really - they have a lot of stuff!), I'd highly recommend booking an appointment to see a few objects up close. I'd say it was a once in a lifetime experience, but I'm absolutely booking myself in for another round as soon as I can to look at some more gorgeous gowns!
You can see my reel about my experience over on my personal instagram account here.