LENOX, MA. On display now through the end of the summer at Ventfort Hall is an exhibit of women’s fashion which includes 14 vintage dresses, ranging from 1850 to 1960, as well as various accessory pieces. The exhibit was done largely in collaboration with the Berkshire County Historical Society, located at Herman Melville’s Arrowhead in Pittsfield, MA.

Features of this exhibit include a 1890s blue and black dress, a 1900 cotton and lace wedding gown, a 1927 black velvet party dress embroidered with white flowers and leaves, a 1950s pink party dress, and more.

The Berkshire County Historical Society has one of the largest costume collections in the county. “We’re always excited to be able to share [our costume collections] with the public through collaborative exhibits like this,” says Erin Hunt, curator of the Berkshire County Historical Society.

The exhibit is displayed throughout the entire mansion and is included in the regular admission to the museum. Visiting hours are daily, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Masks, while in attendance, are required. The historical mansion is located at 104 Walker Street in Lenox.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated by the Massachusetts Cultural Council as an important partner of the Lenox Cultural District, one of the five such Berkshire County districts, Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum was built in 1893 for George and Sarah Morgan, the sister of legendary financier J. Pierpont Morgan.

Self-guided tours of the historic mansion are offered daily, as well as lectures, such exhibitions as the Bellefontaine Collection, concerts, theater and other programs. This elegant Jacobean-Revival Berkshire “cottage” is open to the public year-round and is available for private rental.  Ventfort Hall, also an Official Project of Save America’s Treasures program sponsored by The White House, has undergone substantial restoration, which continues.