'Heart's Desire' exhibit opens at Elmhurst History Museum
When it comes to matters of the heart, it's often a good idea to gain a little perspective.
As Valentine's Day nears, the Elmhurst History Museum offers a look at love, marriage and courtship through the lens of history.
"Heart's Desire: Reflections on Love and Marriage," a new exhibit showcasing the outward expressions of heartfelt affection, opened Friday and continues through March 17 featuring a look at wedding gowns through the ages.
"The centerpiece of the exhibit is the seven wedding gowns that span 1892 through the 1970s," said Dan Bartlett, museum curator. "We've got a really cool set up, I think. We're going to display them like a fashion show runway in the gallery."
The dresses are all locally sourced.
"They're donations from families and individuals in the Elmhurst area," Bartlett said. Six of them have been given to the museum for posterity; one is on loan.
Bartlett said wedding dresses, typically created with delicate fabrics and flourishes such as silk and lace, aren't often exhibited because those materials don't hold up well over time when exposed to light. This new exhibit is making a brief exception in the service of love and remembrance.
"Most of these dresses haven't ever been on exhibit," he said.
Traditional white wasn't always in vogue. Among the gowns is a black Victorian-era gown. There's also a wedding outfit consisting of an organdy and lace dress, petticoat and shoes worn in 1910 by Nellie Williams, and a satin number that Martha Mayer wore to walk down the aisle in 1927 to marry Elmhurst College dean Theophil Mueller.
When Ruth Brieschke married George Vann in 1943, Ruth made her own wedding gown. She wore it for the couple's nuptials at St. Peter's Church in Elmhurst, celebrated while Vann was on leave from the U.S. Army.
Bartlett said a variety of other marriage-related artifacts will be on display, including wedding cake toppers, invitations and marriage licenses.
The history of Valentine's Day traditions are another part of the exhibit.
"We think of Valentine's Day as a Hallmark holiday. Valentine's Day has always been a Hallmark holiday. It was created by card companies back in the 1840s," Bartlett said.
Bartlett said about two dozen of history's earliest valentine cards will show visitors how 19th- and 20th-century lovers wooed each other with intricate artistic designs and flowery prose.
"Some of the Victorian ones are really striking, with multiple layers of lace and cut paper," he said.
The museum is putting a modern spin on yesterday's expressions of love with a life-size pop-up valentine that couples can become part of to take keepsake selfies, he said.
Visitors are invited to contribute their own wedding photo donations to a Community Wedding Photo Wall.
The exhibit will remain on display through March 17 and will be accompanied by love and marriage-themed special events, including a Jan. 20 gallery talk featuring Bartlett and a Feb. 9 Victorian valentine-making session.
If you go
What: "Heart's Desire: Reflections on Love and Marriage" exhibit
Where: Elmhurst History Museum, 120 E. Park Ave.
When: Through March 17; hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays and Tuesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays
Info: elmhursthistory.org or (630) 833-1457