Exploring Nineteenth-Century Fashions

Theater major Ben Streeter, class of 2013, is interested in costumes. This summer, thanks to the Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship Program, Streeter has worked on cataloging the 2,000 items of clothing owned by the Historical Society of the Tonawandas.

His faculty mentor is Erica Fire, costume director/shop manager with the Theater Department. "Ben is a great student," said Fire. "This project is perfect for him, because he’s really interested in the material and he’s a great researcher. My role has been to listen and to guide him when the project goes off in an unexpected direction, which is what usually happens when you’re really doing research."

Streeter’s work includes a display of three garments from the 1870s to the 1910s. The garments complement an art exhibition featuring scenes from the same era, according to Danielle Hayes of the Tonawanda News.

Photo: Don Heupel