Genesee Country Village & Museum invites guests to explore the exhibit Becoming Gendered: Garment as Gender Artifact, currently on view in the John L. Wehle Gallery, before it closes to the public in November of this year. This immersive multimedia experience, named “the least expected exhibit about the 19th century” by City Magazine in the 2023 “Best of Rochester” awards, offers a unique exploration of how 19th-century Americans navigated the evolving landscape of gendered fashion.Breeching, cults of domesticity, the Bloomer, Dress Reformers and Women’s Rights advocates, Hodinöhsö:ni’ clothing, Drag in the Genesee Valley region, The Public Universal Friend, and other such topics enrich the fashion and textile exhibit. The exhibit has been sponsored by Trillium Health.
Curator Brandon W. Brooks reflects on the exhibit’s impact, stating, “Becoming Gendered is not just a look into the past; it’s a mirror reflecting the ongoing dialogue about gender and identity today. The very real 19th-century garments on display challenge us to consider: do we make the clothing, or does the clothing make us?”
The exhibit offers a rich display of historic garments, understructures, and imagery, providing insight into how clothing has been used as a tool to express and enforce gender norms throughout time. Much of the exhibit is furnished by the immense Bruce & Susan Greene Costume Collection housed at Genesee Country Village & Museum, in addition to objects on loan from regional museums, including the Rochester Museum & Science Center, the New York State Museum, the Holland Land Office Museum, The Oneida Community Mansion House, The Ontario County Historical Society, The Strong National Museum of Play, and Ganondagan.
The experience is further enhanced by a micro-exhibit, Factually Frocked: Gendering Children in 19th-Century America, which delves into the often-overlooked topic of children’s gendered clothing.
“Becoming Gendered is a powerful reminder that the discussions we’re having today about gender are not new – they’ve been part of our history for centuries,” Brooks adds. “Evolving gender identities and discussions around gender identities are an American institution rooted in and reinforced by the artifacts on display in exhibits like this one.”
As the exhibit’s final months approach, GCV&M encourages visitors not to miss this opportunity to engage with history in a way that resonates with the present. Admission to the John L. Wehle Gallery is included with general museum admission. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.gcv.org/becoming-gendered-garment-as-gender-artifact/
Provided information and photos
