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Are We Dressed Yet?


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Published: Sep 12, 2007

Exhibit runs Sept. 15-May 31, 2008, free with museum admission, Mercer Museum, 84 S. Pine St., Doylestown, 215-345-0210, www.mercermuseum.org

Paul Rhoades probably never thought the steel-toe boots and lunch box from his days at the U.S. Steel Fairless Plant in Bucks County would be on display at a museum, but starting this week, the Mercer Museum will examine his life, and the lives of others through the accessories they used for both beauty and necessity. "Are We Dressed Yet?" features 75 items from Henry Mercer's collection of 18th- to 20th-century personal objects, most of them from Bucks County and never before seen by the public. "The most important thing about history is that we can't just study it," says Sarah Schmidt, Mercer's coordinator of exhibits and public programs. "We have to interpret it to understand how it happened."

The hands-on nature of the exhibit, which is set up like a secondhand clothing store, allows visitors to use their imagination to connect with their ancestors: Curious museumgoers can touch and try on pieces such as old-timey hats, shoes and scarves. Other standouts include a ribbon worn by a person mourning the death of President Lincoln, and a hand-stitched purse — designed for and belonging to a man — from 1771. Guests are encouraged to bring their own vintage jewelry and handbags for verbal appraisal on the opening day.

While the Mercer Museum is best-known for its extensive collection of tools, Schmidt believes the accessories on display provide just as much historical value as old guns and machinery. "All material culture tells stories," she says, "and that's something that Henry Mercer believed in."