Past Exhibitions
Hunt & Habit
January 12 - April 21, 2013
Textile Gallery Exhibit
The Charleston Museum presents an original exhibition, Hunt & Habit in the museum’s Historic Textiles Gallery. Hunt & Habit includes women’s and men’s riding habits, hats and accessories from the 19th and early 20th century. Setting the background for the garments is a beautiful early 19th century hunt board which could be carried to the porch for breakfast service, laden with Lowcountry favorites. Guns, typical of those used in local hunts, a side-saddle and period equestrian fashion plates round out the display
Charleston Couture
March 10, 2012 - February 10, 2013
High fashion and style has been of paramount importance to Charlestonians from its earliest days. The emphasis on grand design, apparent in the architecture, gardens, art and clothing favored by the region, was facilitated by the port city’s easy access to fine goods, including textiles, fashion plates and magazines, imported from around the world. An original Charleston Museum exhibition, Charleston Couture, will showcase the area’s finest garments and accessories from the 1770s to the 1970s. Charleston Couture will include some true haute couture garments brought back by privileged Lowcountry residents from their wide travels. Of significance are pieces designed and made by Charles Frederick Worth and Mariano Fortuny, along with fashionable examples of lesser-known clothiers and Charleston dressmakers.
Lowcountry Embroidery
May 12 - January 13, 2013
Textile Gallery
The Charleston Museum presents an original exhibition, Lowcountry Embroidery, from May 12 to January 13, 2013 in its Historic Textiles Gallery. The Charleston Museum's collection of Charleston-made schoolgirl samplers is unrivaled and these delightful embroidered treasures will be the main focus of this exhibit.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, almost every young girl learned to sew. The sampler was probably a girl's first achievement, proof of this important knowledge, and then most likely she would go on to show off her talents through decorative embroideries. Displayed in the study drawer section of the gallery, Lowcountry Embroidery will also include appliqué and needlepoint to showcase the finer needlework achieved by women and skilled girls.
Seasonal Fashion: Winter in Charleston
December 1 – January 6, 2013
Textile Gallery Exhibit
As Autumn and Thanksgiving give way to thoughts of chilly temperatures and winter holidays, so do the garments in the Charleston Museum’s Seasonal Fashions exhibit. The Charleston Museum continues its year-long rotation in its Historic Textile Gallery with Seasonal Fashions: Winter in Charleston features a range of garments, fashion accessories, Christmas ornaments and stockings from the 19th century.
Geometric Quilts
May 5 – December 9, 2012
The Charleston Museum presents an original exhibition,Geometric Quilts, from May 5 to December 9, 2012 in its Historic Textiles Gallery. Pieced (or patchwork) quilts consist of geometric shapes sewn together to form a pattern. Popular throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, these quilts display a myriad of designs created from just a few distinct shapes. Geometric Quilts looks at how these simple shapes are transformed into intricate and delightful patterns.
Seasonal Fashion: Autumn in Charleston
Sept 1 – Nov 25, 2012
As summer vacations give way to thoughts of heading back to school, football games and slightly cooler temperatures, so do the garments in the Charleston Museum’s Seasonal Fashions exhibit. The museum continues its year-long rotation in its Historic Textile Gallery with Seasonal Fashions: Autumn in Charleston. A range of garments, accessories and ephemera in this exhibit dating from the 1850s to the 1960s represents a seasonal shift to a more autumnal palette and theme.
Blasted: Assorted Projectiles and Explosives of the Civil War
January 9 – September 10, 2012
Lobby Exhibit
Continuing its commemoration of the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, the Charleston Museum presents Blasted: Assorted Projectiles and Explosives of the Civil War. This original exhibition explores the varied and sometimes revolutionary artillery shells and small arms projectiles that were used during this country’s defining conflict. Artifacts on exhibit include a rare Quinlivan shot designed to penetrate Federal ironclads and a two-chambered incendiary shell likely intended for use in Charleston’s defense.
Seasonal Fashion: Summer
April 21 – August 26, 2012
In 2012, the Historic Textile Gallery will feature a rotating exhibit of Seasonal Fashions. Get ready for summer and a change to beach wear, perfect for a romp in the surf or a stroll down the boardwalk. Some of our early bathing suits might surprise even the most ardent beachgoers.
The Life and Times of Congressman Robert Smalls
April 3, 2012 - June 19, 2012
Image courtesy of the Library of Congress
This special traveling exhibit tells the story of Robert Smalls's daring 1862 escape from slavery, his service to the Union forces during the Civil War, and his political career during Reconstruction.Consisting of narrative panels, photographs, artwork, ship models, artifacts and reproductions which underscore the historical significance of Robert Smalls, this exhibition is an important contribution to Civil War and African American history. Visitors will become more familiar with Smalls's heroic exploits and be inspired by his legacy of bravery, leadership and public service to all Americans. Exhibit highlights include furniture from the house where Smalls lived as a slave, scaled replicas of the CSS Planter and the USS Keokuk, the two ships that Robert Smalls piloted during the Civil War, a replica of the musket owned by Smalls, letters he wrote to dignitaries of his time, and photographs of his house in Beaufort, SC, his family and his descendants through the generations. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Fashion Plates: Illustrating History's Latest Styles, 1760-1920s
November 19, 2011 - May 6, 2012
Historic Textiles Gallery
Once the most important resource for current styles, fashion plates are now a valuable source for historic research. These plates appeared in many publications, such as Godey's Lady's Book, La Belle Assemblée, Les Modes Parisiennes and Ackermann's Repository of Arts among others. Essentially, fashion plates did not exist before the French Revolution began in 1789, though the Museum does have several rare hand-tinted fashion illustrations dating to the 1760s. It has been suggested that the sudden influx of French influence - as aristocrats rushed to escape the Revolution - catapulted the art of fashion designing and especially the production of fashion plates into a thriving business. For many years, these images would be the arbiters of elegance. Dress makers or even amateur home-sewers would use the illustration as their guide; dress patterns were not widely available until the latter half of the 19th century.
Botanical Quilts: Chintz Appliqué in the 19th Century
November 5, 2011 – April 22, 2012
Historic Textiles Gallery
Charleston has a long and venerable quilt making history. One of the most stunning techniques,broderie perse or chintz appliqué, consisted of fabulous floral and botanical printed fabrics imported from India, England and Europe. The quilt was made by cutting up these luxurious textiles and then reapplying the motifs to a larger fabric, carefully stitching around each element. Quiltmakers could create a stunning tree of life, a graceful floral basket or an album quilt of many different designs. Botanical Quilts examines the many different botanically-inspired quilts that graced the beds of Lowcountry residents throughout the 19th century.
Seasonal Fashion: Springtime in Charleston
February 19 – April 15
In 2012, the Historic Textile Gallery will feature a rotating exhibit of Seasonal Fashions. Shake off the winter blues in late February with an early spring Garden Party featuring elegant white dresses from the early 1900s, batiks by Anna Heyward Taylor and other floral textile delights.
Coat Check
November 12, 2011 – March 4, 2012
Historic Textiles Gallery
Just in time for cooler weather, Coat Check will display of historic outerwear – coats, capes, cloaks, shawls, jackets – worn in Charleston in the past 200 years. From fur coats to delicate embroidered shawls, these garments were the finishing touch on a fashionable outfit. Even in the moderate Lowcountry climate, the winter months required a warm cover-up and fall or spring evenings might have needed a lighter wrap. Coat Check explores men’s, women’s and children’s outerwear with an eye to fashion as well as practicality.
"We Have Just Begun to Fight!" - Textiles from World War II
December 7, 2011 - February 5, 2012
Historic Textiles Gallery
This December 7th marks the 70th Anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the official entrance of the United States into World War II. In commemoration of that fateful day, The Charleston Museum presents uniforms and textiles relevant to the Pacific War. We strive to honor the men and women who served throughout the war, on far-off shores and on the homefront, by telling the stories of these Americans through their personal objects.
Threads of War: Clothing and Textiles of the Civil War
October 14, 2010 - October 30, 2011
Historic Textile Gallery
Commemorating the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War and celebrating the opening of its new textile gallery, The Charleston Museum presents Threads of War: Clothing and Textiles of the Civil War. This original exhibition offers a peek into the lives of those left on the home front and those battling deprivation and fear while raising their families and protecting their property, as well as those fighting on the front lines. Threads of War will illustrate how, as the 1860s marched on, the war took its toll not only in lives lost but on fashion, supplies, and every aspect of life. Women's, men's and children's clothing, uniforms and accessories, quilts, coverlets and flags, along with magazines, newspapers, daguerreotypes and diaries provide tangible images of mid-nineteenth century Charleston and a lifestyle torn apart by war. LEARN MORE...
Plotting a Siege: Maps of Charleston in the Civil War
September 10, 2011 – December 22, 2011
Lobby Exhibit
Continuing its commemoration of the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War, the Charleston Museum presents Plotting a Siege: Maps of Charleston in the Civil War. This small, original exhibition will display various examples of the maps held in the Charleston Museum’s Archives that relate to the Civil War. Historical maps, a valuable and fascinating resource, offer us a chance to see our world the way it used to be and this is especially true for the Civil War era. While maps are inarguably an important means of studying this conflict, they are also valued for their beauty. Many of the early pieces were hand-colored and contain unique content making them collectible works of art. Maps produced in wartime are especially distinctive as troop positions and battle information would be hand-drawn onto an existing map to create a truly precious item.
Aisle Style - 150 Years of Wedding Fashion
October 16, 2009 - June 30, 2010
Textile Gallery
The Charleston Museum presents Aisle Style: 150 Years of Wedding Fashion, an original exhibition on display from October 16, 2009 through June 30, 2010. While focusing on the bride and her dress, the exhibition will include accessories, men's garments, trousseau treasures, and photographs. Aisle Style will also explore wedding traditions, from orange blossoms and blue garters to the magnificent white gown. The Museum will offer a wide variety of workshops and programs in conjunction with the exhibit.
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