Interest in archives is getting trendier in some very interesting ways. Take one special event coming this weekend as one example of just how true that is.
As the Archives Society of Alberta celebrates Archives Week, it is setting up to host a fashion show inspired by archives themselves. Looking Good, Alberta! features a collection of historic costumes, attire, make-up and hairstyles that all date back from the late 1800s to the mid 1900s. It’s a unique opportunity to see how clothing and fashions have changed so much across a significant period of time, and how much they’ve stayed the same.
If you ask Rene Georgopalis, the executive director and archives advisor with the society, the event is a fun way of introducing people to the concept and importance of archives, these repositories of information and relics of an entire culture, geographic area or population of people.
“Archives are in the background of what the public sees,” the former archivist at the MusĂ©e HĂ©ritage Museum said. “Archives are the content and images in books, the images in documentaries, the facts behind museum exhibits and evidence in court. This event allows the public to see one of the many ways archives can be used: to create historical costumes.”
The fashion show will take place in the lobby of Edmonton’s city hall starting at 7 p.m. on Friday. There will also be an after-party at The Common, located at 9910 109 Street.
There will also be an exhibit of images from several archives, all of which will feature fashion in some way. It will also have information on the types of archives to be found in the metropolitan Edmonton area.
There will be various events in co-ordination with Archives Week to be held at archives across the province. The society will also be hosting a web exhibit featuring images from archives on the same theme of fashion. The exhibit can be found at archivesalberta.org/virtual-exhibits.
The society works to promote the collection, preservation and use of archival materials, develop archival skills amongst those working in the industry, and provide a forum for discussion of subjects regarding archives.
For more information, call the Archives Society of Alberta at 780-424-2697 or visit www.archivesalberta.org.
