Past Forward

Activating The Henry Ford Archive of Innovation

An Attic Full of Stories

October 31, 2016 Archive Insight, Think THF
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Evening Dress, Worn by Augusta Denton Roddis at Her Junior Prom, 1932. THF163503

From November 5, 2016 through April 2, 2017, The Henry Ford will present American Style and Spirit: 130 Years of the Fashions and Lives of an Entrepreneurial Family.

The exhibit features generations of clothing discovered carefully tucked away in a Wisconsin family’s attic. Rarely does one family preserve so many articles of clothing, spanning so many decades. And so often, family clothing that has been saved has lost its personal story. But not these garments.

This special collection of clothing from the Roddis family, with stories presented through photographs and heirloom objects, not only provides a glimpse into the lives of the Roddis family, it also connects us with stories of American life. 

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"Story Book Ball," Prom Dance Card, 1932. THF254843


Like the garments found in the Roddis family attic, clothing has meaning in our own lives.

Throughout the duration of the exhibit, we will continue adding links to this post that reveal more stories and show how clothing can provide a lens to the past.

Explore
The Roddis Family Collection

Learn
Elizabeth Parke Firestone Fashions
A Family's Fashions

In-House to On-the-Rack
A Wardrobe Workshop
When Fashion Mirrors Architecture

Watch

American Style and Spirit, home life, fashion

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