Anyone who’s ever thought life in the 19th century was tough might be surprised to know that — for wealthy woman at least — the everyday harshness of life started with just getting dressed.

“Oh gosh, with all the buttons and laces, you bet it was a hassle,” said Patsy Hahn, the new exhibits director at the Calistoga Sharpsteen Museum. “Our newest exhibit, dresses of the 19th century, which opens tomorrow night, has a lot of clothes the women — and children (an outfit each for one boy and one girl) — wore back when people started arriving in California in the 1860s.”

The majority of the clothing collection was donated to the Napa Valley Museum back in the 1970s and has been in storage since. Hahn has had to spend hours going through clothing to find pieces that were suitable to bring to Calistoga.

“It was really something,” Hahn said. “I took the dresses home to press them, and I had to be very careful, especially with all the stitching and lace.”

Considering the age of the dresses — which are more than twice as old as Hahn herself, she laughed — these dresses are in very good shape.

Hahn placed all of the dresses on display in the Sharpsteen Museum on Tuesday afternoon and they will be on display for about six months.

A preview reception will be held at the museum from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6. There will be refreshments available, and there is no admission charge to view the exhibit.

“These clothes obviously came from someone who was fairly wealthy,” Hahn said. “All of them are label as to the kind of dress they are, and the year they’re from — all information provided by Rick Deragon, executive director of the Napa Valley Museum.

“Anyone interested in how their grandmothers or great-grandmothers wore, should come on down,” Hahn said.

 

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