"Peasant Gowns" for American Ladies: Czechoslovak Folk Art Exhibit at the Woman's World Fair, 1927

FILIPOVÁ, Marta. "Peasant Gowns" for American Ladies: Czechoslovak Folk Art Exhibit at the Woman's World Fair, 1927. In Design History Society annual conference, Ankara. 2025.

Základní údaje

Originální název

"Peasant Gowns" for American Ladies: Czechoslovak Folk Art Exhibit at the Woman's World Fair, 1927

Autoři

FILIPOVÁ, Marta

Vydání

Design History Society annual conference, Ankara, 2025

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Další údaje

Typ výsledku

Vyžádané přednášky

Označené pro přenos do RIV

Ne

Klíčová slova anglicky

diaspora; folk art; USA; gender; Czechoslovakia; peasant fashion

Příznaky

Recenzováno

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Anotace

V originále

Since the late nineteenth century, folk art had been an important marker of national identity linked to national revivals in Central European countries. This understanding was also retained strongly amongst the diaspora in the USA in its different political, social and ethnic contexts. Folk art soon became framed by an idealised, almost sentimental view associated with the pre-industrial past. The belonging to the home country was most visibly expressed by the diaspora in wearing folk costumes at special occasions and preserving artistic and craft practices. Clubs and associations of craft women would serve as social meeting places and be involved in public facing events like international exhibitions. Yet the different environment also opened new opportunities for producers of folk art, contributing to the emancipation and social mobility of women who were the creators of garments, accessories and decorative objects for the home for the diaspora as well as for a wider market. Such practices were characteristic of many émigré groups in the USA. In this article I focus on the relationship between Czech and Slovak folk cultures and the respective diasporas in the USA. I explore the Czechoslovak Folk Art exhibit, in particular, which represented Czechs and Slovaks at the Woman’s World’s Fair in Chicago in 1927. The exhibit consisted of folk dresses and products that were recognized as disappearing in Czechoslovakia but retained by the diaspora. Folk culture became not only a symbol of national difference but also a useful commodity that could be sold to American ladies. New environment and markets necessarily brought new production technologies, use of non-traditional materials and interaction with other ethnic groups. The case study ultimately leads to an examination of women’s use of folk art as a vehicle of personal and collective emancipation outside of their homeland.

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Návaznosti

GA24-10997S, projekt VaV

Název: Z venkova do světa. Lidové umění a kultura jako aktéři modernity, 1918-1945 Investor: Grantová agentura ČR, Z venkova do světa. Lidové umění a kultura jako aktéři modernity, 1918-1945