About Us | Virtual Tour | Photo Gallery | Education | Events | Visitor Info | News | Contact COSTUME GALLERY The display shows garments and accessories of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Smaller items such as gloves, stockings, handbags, hat pins and other necessary aids like glove stretchers, skirt lifters and chatelaines are also to be found here. Many of the clothes are completely hand made and one can only be amazed at the extensive decoration carried out on such mundane items as underskirts and nightgowns, for even though the first really viable sewing machine was invented in 1846, it was not in general use for many years. Most of the garments are 'Best Clothes' or those worn by the mistress of the house. Very few 'working clothes' have survived. The fashion for extended periods of mourning, started by Queen Victoria, can be seen in the 'Black and Mauve (semi mourning) garments,' many with a decorative trim of Jet beads from the Whitby area. Displays are routinely changed and may vary from the pictures both on this web site and in the printed version of the museum guide. Barber Shop Blacksmiths Chemists Cobblers Coopers Costume Gallery Dairy Gents Dressers Hardware Shop Print Shop Victorian Parlour Victorian Pub

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