Our family photos reveal our ancestor's fashion choices and those clues can help date a picture. The collars, cuffs, hats, and shoes worn by our grandmothers teach us about the period in which they lived, but those details also tell us a bit of the story of their lives. Historical costume is on display in movies and television, but you can also find costumed historians at historic living history events. That’s where I spotted today’s guest. She was a guest at a local historic house party. She was draped in layers of fabric I couldn’t imagine wearing in July. Listen as we talk about her fascination with period dress, how she makes her attire, and how family historians can learn more about our ancestors through clothing.

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About My Guest 

Quinn M. Burgess is a costume maker, costume historian, and educator with a passion for researching, patterning, and making historical clothing. To bring history to life, Quinn combines backgrounds in social, costume, and material history with the study, creation, and wearing of historical clothing.

Quinn’s historical work uses meticulous historical construction methods and modern shortcuts, where appropriate, to create historical clothing for museums, institutions, and individuals, including Plimoth Plantation, Historic Northampton, and the U.S. National Park Service. In addition, she creates and consults on historical costumes for documentaries and short films. Quinn also shares her passion for historical clothing through presentations at historical institutions including, the Newport Historical Society and Rhode Island Historical Society. Her work has also been featured on WBUR, Boston’s largest National Public Radio station.

About Maureen Taylor

Maureen is a frequent keynote speaker on photo identification, photograph preservation, and family history at historical and genealogical societies, museums, conferences, libraries, and other organizations across the U.S., London and Canada.  She’s the author of several books and hundreds of articles and her television appearances include The View and The Today Show (where she researched and presented a complete family tree for host Meredith Vieira).  She’s been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Better Homes and Gardens, The Boston Globe, Martha Stewart Living, Germany’s top newspaper Der Spiegel

I'm thrilled to be offering something new. Photo investigations. These collaborative one-on-one sessions. Look at your family photos then you and I meet to discuss your mystery images. And find out how each clue and hint might contribute to your family history. Find out more by going to maureentaylor.com and clicking on family photo investigations. 

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