Gilded Age Fashion Show and exhibit

Samantha Palmer, Flagler College’s director of retail operations and historic tours, invited Historic City News readers to enjoy a detailed glimpse into 19th century life with the college’s “Gilded Age Fashion Show,” an event showcasing the period garb with patterns from 1888, the year the Hotel Ponce de Leon opened.

The clothes that will be exhibited in Ponce Hall are the kind that the wealthy visitors of the Hotel Ponce de Leon would have worn — layers upon layers of garments, such as pantaloons, corsets and bustles. Unlike today, people, especially of the upper class, would have changed several times daily. Both women and men’s clothing will be exhibited.

“This gives the Theatre Arts department the chance to showcase the talent behind the scenes while creating a new exhibit for the historic tours,” Palmer told local reporters.

Palmer was looking for creative ways to promote the college’s historic tours during St. Augustine’s 450th anniversary celebration, when she connected with Elaina Wahl-Temple, a Theatre Arts professor and the head costumer of the department.

Palmer, Wahl-Temple, and five Theatre Arts students put the program in motion. Now, the collection will be unveiled September 4th in the Flagler College Rotunda, 74 King Street, at 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. and will be on display in the Flagler Room, beginning September 12th, as a part of the college’s historic tours.

In choosing fabric to construct these outfits, Wahl-Temple says that she was fortunate to have a generous costuming mentor.

“One of my mentors has this huge empty home that is filled with all different types of fabrics,” Wahl-Temple said. “I asked him if I could go through it and collect some for this project, and he agreed.”

“We are building these costumes from scratch,” Wahl-Temple told Historic City News. “We’re trying to show the public how the people of this time wore these clothes, especially the ladies.”

The September 4th fashion show is free and open to the public.