Elisabeth Tatum
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    • Educational Programming
    • Historical Costume & Textile Reproduction
    • Collections Management
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About Me

"Being able to construct for yourself something wearable & durable in and age where tradition and skills are almost lost and manufacturing, even in its large scale, is almost invisible, is clearly more appealing than ever. In the twenty-first century, the need for RADICAL APPROACHES to production & consumption is arguably more pressing than ever."
​-Annebella Pollen
Picture
Needlewoman. Student. Historical Interpreter. ​
              I graduated from Middlebury College in 2016 and since then have worked in the public history field at various museums and historical sites.
Currently, I am the executive director of Historic Red Hook, located in the Elmendorph Inn in Red Hook, NY.

I'm also a third year graduate student at the University at Albany, SUNY, where I am working towards a Ph.D. in eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century American consumer and material culture. 

             I spend my time researching, constructing, and wearing historical dress while educating the public about history and material culture. Outside of work, I continue to share my enthusiasm for history by volunteering at historic sites across the East Coast. 


            I believe that historical costumes and textiles have a unique relatability that encourages people to draw connections between their lives and the past. As a public historian, I have used this aspect to have more engaging and productive conversations. ​​
CV coming soon

I'm Always Doing Something New!

Follow Me!

Instagram: @ElisabethStitches
View Recent Projects
Instagram: @ElisabethStitches

Curriculum Vitae

Education
*updates coming soon*

Middlebury College--Middlebury, VT • ​2016 
  • Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude  •  History and English & American Literature Major  • Theatre Minor (Costume Design)
  • Relevant Coursework:  History of Western Dress • Costume Design I & II
Keble College, Oxford University—Oxford, England, September 2014—April 2015
  • Studied abroad at the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies​

Skills

  • Advanced use of domestic and industrial sewing machines and serger​​
  • Pattern drafting  ​
  • Proficient draping
  • Expert hand-sewing
  • Alterations and mending
  • Knitting and crocheting
  • Netting
  • ​Sprang​​​
  • Stay-making and corsetry
  • Proficient leather-working
  • Passmenterie
  • Upholstery  
  • Theatrical hair and makeup ​
  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Museum Experience

Click on links to view specific projects
Old Barracks Museum--Trenton, NJ • May 2016—Present
Costumed Historical Interpreter

Responsibilities
  • First and third person interpretation of 18th-century history for tours and school programs
  • Research, construct, and alter historical clothing and textiles related to the museum; projects include:
    • Hand-sewed a complete 18th-century woman's wardrobe
    • Assisted the tailor in the reproduction of 18th-century military uniforms
    • Updated inaccurate costume and textile reproductions in galleries including bed hangings and ticks
    • Contributed to the museum's collection of loaner costumes and items for school programs
  • Rewrite old educational programming including “18th-century Child’s Play” and “Women’s Roles"
  • Develop new family friendly programming such as children's activity books, and “Family-Friendly Tours."
  • Create social media content for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
  • Plan and write interpretive programming for special events, such a "Manufacturing a Revolution: Trenton in the Winter of 1777-1778"
  • Tend the gift shop counter and assist patrons with purchases​
Middlesex County Cornelius Low House Museum and East Jersey Old Town Village—Piscataway, NJ • April 2018--November 2018
Costumed Historical Interpreter
  • Represent Red Cross nurse for WWI exhibit and demonstrate 20th-century knitting
  • Interpret as 18th-century woman at the Village and demonstrate historical sewing and knitting
  • Initiated the development of a costume policy for the interpretive staff
  • Began “Stitching at the Low House Sundays” to engage local craftspeople and perpetuate historic crafts
Museum of the American Revolution—Philadelphia, PA • August 2018--October 2018
Freelance Work
  • Constructed 1790’s children’s try-on coats for upcoming interactive exhibit “Hamilton was Here”
Plimoth Plantation—Plymouth, MA • July—August 2016
Historic Clothing and Textiles Intern
  • Manufactured and repaired clothing for interpreters in the 17th-century English Village
  • Demonstrated 17th-century sewing and knitting for the public
  • Created an archive of 16th-18th-century reference images for the Historic Clothing and Textiles Department
  • Laundered and organized museum’s wardrobe collection
Middlebury College Antique Clothing Collection—Middlebury, VT • ​September 2015—May 2016
Senior Work
  • Initiated and executed the cataloging of the college’s neglected collection of clothing dating from 1850-1930
  • Applied for and received a grant from the Costume Society of America for the collection’s preservation
  • Created an image database accessible to faculty and students for research and teaching purposes
  • Acquired familiarity of c.1850-1930 garment construction through handling, photographing, and researching original items

Theatre Experience

Stitcher
  • Adjusted and built period and modern garments by hand and machine
  • Organized and restocked costume collection and assisted actors and crew backstage with wardrobe
    • ​Princeton University Costume Shop--Princeton, NJ • November 2017—Present​​
    • Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey--Madison, NJ • October 2017 Middlebury
    • Middlebury College & Language Schools—Middlebury, VT • September 2012—May 2016
Design
  • Designed costumes and hair and makeup for students’ senior work and the Middlebury College Musical Players
  • Worked with a budget to purchase, rent, and construct designs
  • Assisted actors backstage with wardrobe and did laundry
    • Middlebury College—Middlebury, VT • February 2013—May 2016
Assistant to Costume Designer
  • Assisted with Off-Broadway and other New York productions building and adjusting modern and historic costumes
  • Responsibilities included shopping for materials, renting costumes, running wardrobe backstage, and laundry
    • Smith Street Stage—New York City, NY • July 2015
    • Theatre East—New York City, NY • June 2015
    • Potomac Theatre Project NYC —New York City, NY • ​June—July 2014
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  • Home
  • About
  • Services
    • Educational Programming
    • Historical Costume & Textile Reproduction
    • Collections Management
    • Theater
  • Contact
  • Recent Projects