I really like it when institutions identify specific needs and quantify them, it makes giving to the museum tangible and you can support things that matter to you, possibly even visit later to see the object/effort done.  There are a few drives at Williamsburg right now that I wanted to point out.  They are opportunities to add a few dollars to a goal.  As we know – many small gifts will equal one large one.   If you want to contribute a small amount to any of these efforts – call 1-888-CWF-1776 or email them at gifts@cwf.org.

18th-century Mannequins for Displaying Gowns
Funds needed for two mannequins with specially made wigs (plus cost adjustments relating to the exchange rate and mailing) are estimated to be $7,000-$8,000.
Specialized mannequins are required when 18th-century women’s gowns are displayed. Not only must the mannequins be made of materials safe enough to be in contact with fragile antiques, the body shapes must be correct for the period. Because 18th-century women wore stays that molded their bodies quite differently from those of contemporary women, display mannequins need to have conical torsos with high bust lines, narrow backs and shoulders, and very erect posture in order to correctly support historic garments. The Kyoto Costume Institute has developed  just such mannequins shaped for specific eras from the 18th through 20th centuries.  Colonial Williamsburg purchased four female mannequins in 2001 for the exhibition, “The Language of Clothing.” Additional mannequins are required to allow for future exhibitions that involve more dressed female figures and to give flexibility in conservation and exhibit turn-around.

Silk Velvet for a Reproduction of the Blair Family Coat
Funds needed are an estimate, pending analysis of the fabric by Lelievre: $20,000-25,000
Colonial Williamsburg has in its collection a coat believed to have been made for Governor’s Counselor John Blair (c. 1687-1771) in the 1730s and refashioned some three decades later, possibly to be worn by his son Williamsburg Mayor John Blair, Jr. (1731-1800).  It is the only surviving coat known to have been worn by a resident of the colonial capital and possibly made by a local tailor. In order to reproduce this remarkable garment, Colonial Williamsburg will partner with the French silk firm Lelievre to hand-weave the complex patterned silk velvet fabric neede.  Lelievre (an official French National Treasure that has reproduced fabrics for Versailles, Malmaison, and Fountaine Bleu) is one of a small handful of silk mills remaining in the world that is capable of producing this technical-masterpiece textile.  Apprentice tailor Neal Hurst will reproduce the coat as it survives and also reconstruct its original appearance as his final projects to become a journeyman.

Historic Area Costuming Accessories
Funds needed: $5,000 for one year of eyewear expenses, $61,000 for one year of shoe expenses
More than 800 Colonial Williamsburg employees work in costume in the Historic Area, taverns, period stores, and in special programs.  Keeping them well attired is the responsibility of the Costume Design Center.  Interpreters wear reproduction 18th-century clothing and accessories.  Accessories include new and replacement eyewear and shoes; the goal is authenticity of appearance.  Eyeglasses are plain with round lenses and wire frames and cost about $150 from a specialized vendor.  Shoes cost approximately $125 a pair; some are made by our shoemakers, while others are manufactured in England and the U.S.  Shoe styles vary to reflect the different life styles of 18th-century Williamsburg society.

Mosquito Curtains for the Governor’s Bedchamber
Funds needed:  $10,825
In the Governor’s Palace, the governor of Virginia needs mosquito curtains for his bed!  Writing in 1764, a sleepless and frustrated Virginia planter observed that the “vile musketoes [are] as plenty as bees in a hive.”  In an era before air conditioning and window screens, gauze bed curtains provided the only nighttime relief from the biting insects.  Accordingly, Governor Botetourt paid a Williamsburg upholsterer one shilling, six pence for “puting [sic] up muscato curtains in his room” at the Palace.  In order to replicate that 1769 order, new curtains will be fabricated from delicate green linen gauze and hand sewn with all the appropriate trim.