THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 7, 1996 TAG: 9608060161
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Coastal Journal
SOURCE: Mary Reid Barrow
LENGTH: 84 lines
The orange and purple hot pants outfit that Mayor Meyera Oberndorf wore to her 10th wedding anniversary party is the hit of a new exhibit that opened at the Francis Land House last week.
``Rose Hall - 20th Century Style with 18th Century Elegance'' showcases clothing accessories, promotional material and other items from 1955 to 1974 when the Rose Hall Dress Shop for Ladies and Their Daughters was operating in the Land House. The 18th century home was known then as Rose Hall.
Everything from mini-skirts to hats that look like they are made of birthday confetti, from dyed-to-match gloves and pocketbooks to Oberndorf's colorful outfit are bound to bring back memories for most anyone who grew up a generation or two ago.
Folks will recall the psychedelic colors of many of the clothes of the late '60s and early '70s when they see Oberndorf's three-piece, purple and bright orange hot pants outfit. The blouse and shorts came with a long skirt that could be buttoned discreetly up the front or left open to reveal the short shorts underneath.
Mini-skirts are another reminder of yesteryear. One dressy coat is short enough to be a top coat today, but definitely was designed to cover the '60s tiny skirts.
Big rhinestone earrings, and huge, round, fake pearls are among the '60s jewelry in a showcase. Leather gloves and dyed-to-match pocketbook, probably from a more sedate earlier period, also are in the showcase. They are accompanied by a photograph of Catherine Dozier wearing them both as part of her going-away outfit when she left with her husband on their honeymoon.
The clothing and accessories were loaned to the Francis Land House by their owners, some of whom even still had Rose Hall jewelry boxes and hat boxes stowed away in their attics or closets. Melissa Colburn, a January term intern at the Land House, began researching the exhibit and contacting Rose Hall patrons last winter, and this summer's intern, Heather Foster, gathered the clothing and designed the exhibit.
The clothes are a mini-history lesson on Virginia Beach itself. For example, early dress labels and newspaper ads give the Rose Hall address as ``Lynnhaven, Virginia.'' Later labels, after the merger of Princess Anne County and Virginia Beach, give ``Virginia Beach, Va.'' as the address.
Even though the dress shop doesn't seem like it is part of history because it was so recent, it was as much a part of the history of the Francis Land House as any other use of the home, said Land House administrator Mark Reed.
It's important to remember that the historic house played many roles in the life of Virginia Beach beyond that of an 18th century plantation, he added. For example, before Colin and Mary Studds moved there and opened the dress shop, Rose Hall was a dairy farm. The dress shop also is significant because it was the last use of the Francis Land House before it became an historic site.
One little piece of this modern-day history is lacking in the exhibit, Reed said. They would like to have more photos. The only photographs are the one of Dozier and several of model Bert Harper modeling Rose Hall fashions.
Although they have enough clothing in the exhibit and in fact, couldn't even use all that was lent to them, they have room for more photos. The exhibit will run until next summer, so if you have any pictures of yourself or your mother in Rose Hall fashions or of the Rose Hall shop, call Foster at the Land House at 431-4000.
P.S. You can see the Rose Hall exhibit and help the Francis Land House, too, by attending a Wine Tasting from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are $25, and proceeds will help buy period furniture for the house. Call 431-4000 for reservations.
The Francis Land House also is in need of volunteer tour guides. A five-hour training session will be held from 9:30 to noon Aug. 16 and 20.
HISTORIC LYNNHAVEN HOUSE is sponsoring Hands On Days for Kids, which are weeklong camps from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 12 to 16 or Aug. 19 to 23 for children ages 8 to 12. Participants will learn Colonial skills such as making butter and candles, weaving, spinning, marbleizing and writing with a quill. Cost is $60 per child. Call 456-0351 for reservation information. MEMO: What unusual nature have you seen this week? And what do you know
about Tidewater traditions and lore? Call me on INFOLINE, 640-5555.
Enter category 2290. Or, send a computer message to my Internet address:
mbarrow(AT)infi.net. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARY REID BARROW
Heather Foster, a summer intern at the Francis Land House, helped
gather and exhibit fine clothing and accessories from former patrons
of the Rose Hall Dress Shop that once operated at the Land House. by CNB