"Gilded Age Fashion" Book Talk with Art Historian, Dr. Elizabeth Block

"Gilded Age Fashion" Book Talk with Art Historian, Dr. Elizabeth Block

When: Saturday, June 13th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM

Location: Rough Point, 680 Bellevue Avenue, Newport

Tickets: $15 general admission; FREE for Newport County Residents. Please purchase tickets online in advance.

We are excited to collaborate with the Newport Restoration Foundation to welcome art historian and Senior Editor in the Publications and Editorial Department at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Dr. Elizabeth Block, for a book discussion about her latest book “Gilded Age Fashion.” Transport yourself to the Gilded Age. Discover its most influential fashions with this in-depth look at fifty gowns created by the late 19th-century founders of couture.

The evening will begin with an unveiling of a new rotation of fashion objects from Doris Duke’s wardrobe on view in our special exhibition Fashioning Resiliency: Doris Duke’s Legacy of Conservation, followed by an illustrative talk by Dr. Elizabeth Block. Dr. Block will be on hand after the talk to sign and personalize copies of her book.

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Transport yourself to the exuberance and glamour of elite American society in the 1870s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, when influential families like the Vanderbilts, Astors and Rockefellers hosted, attended, and dressed exquisitely for the grandest events in the United States and Europe. Showcasing fifty gowns created by late 19th century founders of couture, most exquisitely by the House of Worth in Paris, Gilded Age Fashion features the finest dresses of the era. The book highlights a selection from renowned museum collections.

Author, Elizabeth Block details the social etiquette and customs that guided the sartorial choices of the fabulously wealthy. Each sumptuous gown featured tells a story about its creator and the woman who wore it, and the opulent balls, opera nights, charity benefits, and society weddings she might have attended. Three illustrated sections are organized by the times of day when the finest quality clothing was worn, from an afternoon dress by Emile Pingat to a custom-made silk ball gown by Charles Frederick Worth.

History enthusiasts, fashion lovers, and fans of Julian Fellowes’ HBO series The Gilded Age will delight in the vivid details and stories that bring these garments to life, revealing the personal narratives and politics that shaped the clothing of America’s Gilded Age.

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Elizabeth L. Block, an art historian, is a Senior Editor in the Publications and Editorial Department at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Dr. Block earned her PhD in art history at The Graduate Center, City University of New York. She also holds an MA in American Studies from Columbia University, and a BA in English and Art History from The George Washington University. She is also the author of Beyond Vanity: The History and Power of Hairdressing, and Dressing Up: The Women Who Influenced French Fashion. Her articles appear in American Art, Town & Country, and Slate.