Willa Cather: A Matter of Appearances at Nebraska History Museum beginning October 9
Long before stylists told celebrities what not to wear, Willa Cather created a unique and evolving public image. A rebellious Victorian teenager who cut her hair and wore boy’s clothes, Cather would go on to develop a flair for high-end fashion while maintaining the practicality of her Nebraska roots.
Willa Cather: A Matter of Appearances uses clothing and textiles owned by the writer, her friends, and family to tell the story of a woman who made her own rules in fashion and literature. Objects from the collections of the Nebraska State Historical Society and the Willa Cather Foundation weave the story of the tomboy who left her prairie home to become a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist. Photographs of Willa Cather and copies of her books help weave the story of how she created an image and a legacy that continues to inspire writers, artists and others who chose to make their own, individualistic way in the world. From the embroidered cotton dress she wore to recite the poem “Hiawatha” as a five year old to the silk velvet coat with fox trim she wore in New York City, artifacts displayed reveal Cather’s lifelong love of beauty.
The exhibit will run through August 31, 2011, and is in partnership with the Willa Cather Foundation and the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation with support from Diane Oldfather and the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Nebraska, Lincoln Borough.
Nebraska History Museum, 15th & P streets, Lincoln. Free admission. Hours: Monday-Friday, 9-4:30; Saturday-Sunday, 1-4:30. Closed state holidays, including October 11 (Columbus Day). 402-471-4754 or www.nebraskahistory.org
Silk velvet and fox coat, Willa Cather Foundation, Southwick Family Collection
