Worn on Chestnut Street: Fashion, Memory, and the Lives of Salem’s Clothing

Discover 100+ years of fashion with clothing historian Carrie Midura for our fall Americana Lecture!

Speaker Carrie Midura has been sewing and researching historical fashions professionally and as a hobby for 30+ years and has lectured and taught historical fashion and sewing classes throughout New England. She has been researching and reproducing historical fashions since 1992, with a primary focus on eighteenth and early nineteenth-century methods and styles since 1999. Her clients and employers have included the historic Massachusetts estate Gore Place, Adams National Historical Park, Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum, Old Sturbridge Village, and History Alive, Inc. in Salem, MA.

Once likely worn as contemporary clothing, the pieces in Hamilton Hall's clothing collection were gathered beginning in the 1920s for Salem’s tercentenary by residents of Chestnut Street. As the Chestnut Street Association formed in the 1930s, the clothing continued to be used for pageants and vignettes, including Chestnut Street Days, most recently in 1976. The garments and accessories span from as early as the 1830s and continue well through the 1930s.

With examples ranging from undergarments, children's clothing, men's garments, women's dresses, accessories, and outerwear, together the collection provides an unparalleled look at what was being worn by the residents of Salem's Chestnut Street across two centuries.

While many of the pieces are indeed beautiful examples of historic dress, the strength of the collection is in its breadth and depth. It is unusual for such a large collection to remain connected to a relatively small footprint while also containing such a wide variety of pieces and time periods.

Enjoy a light reception and conversation following the lecture.

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Date and Time

Wednesday Nov 12, 2025
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM EST

Wednesday, November 12
7:00 - 8:30PM

Location

Hamilton Hall
9 Chestnut Street
Salem, MA

Fees/Admission

Member: $30
Nonmember $35
Student: $10
Individual Sponsor: $100

Website

https://hamiltonhall.networkforgood.com/events/92716-fall-americana-lecture

Contact Information

Donna Fritz
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