The popular new PBS series, “Victoria”, examines the life of Great Britain’s nineteenth-century queen. The dazzling costumes worn by the actors prompts this lecture’s examination of the cultural history of clothing in the Victorian era.  What was the inspiration for women’s dress styles in the period?  How was clothing made and who did the work?  What was Queen Victoria’s role as a fashion leader?  And, how authentic are the costumes worn in the PBS series?

Lynne Bassett is an award-winning independent scholar specializing in New England’s historic costume and textiles.  From 1995‒2000 she was the curator of textiles and fine arts at Old Sturbridge Village.  Bassett has undertaken a number of large projects, including exhibitions and publications on a wide range of costume and textile topics.  From 2007 to 2017, she was the guest curator and adjunct curator, of costumes and textiles for the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. .  Lynne’s contribution to the field of historic costume and textiles has been recognized by the American Antiquarian Society, the Massachusetts Historical Society, Historic New England, and the International Quilt Study Center.