Saturday, October 13, 2012

Treasures of the Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles in Berkeley, CA

I have a treasure in my neighborhood in South Berkeley.  That treasure is the Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles (2982 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA, 510-843-7290, LacisMuseum.org & Lacis.com).   It was founded by Kaethe and Jules Kliot in 1965 and is a collection of lace, vintage dresses and wedding gowns, shoes, purses and jewelry.  It also has an extensive library on costumes, textiles and fashion and sells vintage patterns and fabric.   Upon arriving there today, I was invited to join a tour of the lace room being given by owner Jules Kliot, an expert in vintage lace and textiles.  Their collection includes specimens from pre-Columbian Peru, the finest from the 17th Century European courts and examples of the machine laces from the 19th Century industrial revolution.  In addition to lace, the Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles also has a large collection of vintage dresses that are on the walls, hanging from the ceiling and displayed on mannequins.  Most of these dresses pre-date the 1930's.  Periodically, they have fashion shows, which I will let you know about.  The next one is in April 2013.  I definitely will attend and have been invited to bring my camera.  If you want to visit the museum, I highly recommend it.  Check out their website for upcoming events.  They are also conveniently located across from the Ashby bart station.

 Walking to the Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles
 Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles - Treasures galore
 Woman with red petticoat with attitude in the window at Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles
 Mother with children in the window at Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles
 Small clothing section at Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles
 Mannequins in white gowns with vintage shoes & hats
 White gowns on the wall 
 White lace dress
Brown Suffragette suits
 Lace collection room
 Lace collection
 Lace collar
 Unicorn on lace
 Orvieto Crochet from early 20th Century
 Embroidered picture from human hair (1795)
 Italian lace collar from 17th Century
 Lace collection
 Lace collection
 Lace collection
 Lace collection
 Lace collection
 Carved Chinese ivory fan from early 20th Century 

 Beaded fan
 Chinese painted (paper) fan from 19th Century
 White lace midi blouse with pearls
 Vintage (day) gloves
 Folk art dolls
 Hoop skirts on the ceiling 
 Midi blouse with lace collar
 Jules Kliot, owner of Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles 
 Midi blouses and vintage hats 
 Gowns waiting for waltzes 
 Erin, manager of Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles & her sales crew
 Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles 
 Slippers under glass 
 Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles 
Little black dresses  
 Satin princess wedding gown
 1930's lace party dress
 Red satin & lace girl's dress
 1950's black velvet top (with rhinestone trim) and circle skirt
 Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles 
 Jewelry and beautiful figurine with child
 Vintage (evening) gloves
 Gowns & fans
 1950's afternoon cocktail dress
 1920's fantasy gown
 Early 1900's summer costumes
 Lace wall hangings near the library/bookstore
 Satin wedding gown
 Wedding ensemble wall display
 Members of the wedding - check out the groom's mustache
1880s bodice

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