Author Archives: Jonathan

About Jonathan

Jonathan Walford is a fashion historian and co-founder of the Fashion History Museum in Cambridge, Ontario. The FHM maintains a collection of nearly 12,000 artifacts dating from the mid 17th century to the present. Jonathan has authored various books and museum catalogues, including The Seductive Shoe, Shoes A-Z, Forties Fashion, 1950s American Fashion, and Sixties Fashion.

Viking Craft Jewellery 1938 – c. 1970s?

Posted on 2020-04-24 by Jonathan

Albert Horwig was born April 4, 1896 in Charleston, South Carolina. The family name was originally Hurwitz, but was changed to Horwig by his father. Albert married Rose Hoffman in 1932 and by 1938 had founded his New York based … Continue reading →

Posted in jewellery | Leave a comment

Fashion in Song The Bird on Nellie’s Hat (1907)

Posted on 2020-04-21 by Jonathan

A vaudeville song popularized in 1907 by Helen Trix.

Posted in Announcements | Leave a comment

How to fold a kimono

Posted on 2020-04-14 by Jonathan

When Robert Haven was at the museum last summer we had a donation of several kimonos come into the museum. Robert was good enough to share with us the traditional way Japanese kimono are folded for storage:

Posted in Clothing customs, Ethnographic | Tagged | Leave a comment

Canadian Fashion Connection – KIEN (K’Ien) Jewellery

Posted on 2020-04-14 by Jonathan

Founded in Montreal by Naila Jaffer on February 3, 1986, K’Ien Art Concept Ltee. was listed as a wholesale distributor of jewellery. This means they didn’t manufacture the pieces, but had them made (probably in Canada) with their label. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Canadian dress, jewellery | Tagged | Leave a comment

April 10 – International Safety Pin Day

Posted on 2020-04-13 by Jonathan

International Safety Pin day is observed on April 10 every year to mark the date Walter Hunt patented his safety pin. He called his invention a “dress pin” for the purpose of using it for dressing where previously a straight … Continue reading →

Posted in Announcements | Leave a comment

More dry cleaner bags

Posted on 2020-04-13 by Jonathan

Nowadays the dry cleaner bags I get are always clear, but until the 1980s they were usually printed with advertising. Even though the bags are flimsy and disposable, we often get donations come to the museum in old dry cleaner … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Bullock’s department store downtown L.A.

Posted on 2020-04-10 by Jonathan

These interiors are from Bullocks downtown Los Angeles store and were designed by Tony Duquette in about 1940 to represent various seasons in the season-less Los Angeles climate. I found this interesting lecture by Hutton Wilkinson, who was Duquette’s business … Continue reading →

Posted in Photos, Retailing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Fashion Humour — Easter bonnet 1950s…

Posted on 2020-04-07 by Jonathan
Posted in Humour, millinery | Leave a comment

Sergio Rossi, 1935 – 2020

Posted on 2020-04-04 by Jonathan

Sergio Rossi was born in 1935 and apprenticed with his father to learn the art of shoemaking. He began making sandals for summer tourists in Rimini in the 1950s. By 1966 he had set up his own shop in Bologna … Continue reading →

Posted in Designers/Couturiers, Shoes | Leave a comment

1992 Sportswear

Posted on 2020-04-02 by Jonathan

Cleaning up some pic files and came across these shots of sportswear from spring 1992:

Posted in sportswear | Leave a comment