The most iconic keepsake from any wedding is the dress. Each dress has its own unique history and the power to ignite wedding memories in us all. In preparation for a new exhibit, vintage wedding dresses of many styles and colors were placed upon a dress form and scrutinized by staff from the Placer County Museums. Notes were written and photographs were taken from many angles. Not since they were worn in a wedding long ago had these dresses received this much attention. In a sense, each dress in our museum’s collection auditioned for a role in our new exhibit. It was a difficult selection process, but we picked 11 great dresses spanning eight decades to showcase.
The Placer County Museums is proud to announce a groundbreaking new exhibit: Unveiled: The Placer County Museums Wedding Dress Collection. This exhibit spans all three Auburn museums and will officially open on Thursday, April 30th at 4:00 pm in the Placer County Museum located on the first floor of the historic Courthouse. In the museum gallery, wedding dresses and accessories from 1917 through the 1940s will be on display. Also in the museum will be a wedding book with photographs from Placer County weddings long ago and as recent as last year that were donated by the public.
The wedding dresses in the Gold Country and the Bernhard Museums are already on display. At the Gold Country Museum, our oldest wedding dress, from 1868, is on display in the Gold Rush Theatre. Also on display are unique touches of marriage and courtship during the Gold Rush era. At the Bernhard Museum are examples of wedding dresses from the 1880s through the turn of the 20th century.
The Placer County Museum is open daily from 10:00 – 4:00 pm, and the Bernhard and Gold Country Museums are open Tuesdays through Sundays, 11:00 – 4:00 pm.
For more information, please call 530-889-6500.