Black and white photos of happy faces and held hands sat on a table.
Behind the photos stood antique fabrics sewn elegantly into patterns that promised eternal loyalty.
Underneath the bicycles and telescopes on the upper floor of the Monroe County History Center was Happily Ever After, a wedding preservation open house.
Dresses and photographs greeted those who entered the museum Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m.
This was a first-time event organized by the museum in Bloomington.
The antique dresses were part of an exhibit from a few years past, Museum Collections Manager Hilary Fleck said.
The open house began with an idea to bring back an older exhibit in a new way that would fit with the current season, Fleck said.
“We were looking to engage the collections a bit more and make people more aware of preservation techniques because we’re a history center and that’s what we kind of do around here,” Fleck said.
“I think it was September that we started tossing around ideas for the spring. February is the month of love, and we have a very extensive wedding dress collection.”
Workers spoke with attendees in a one-on-one setting about any specific questions they had.
Whether it was how to preserve an old photo or the benefits of silk vs real flowers, the workers had an answer.
The event was free advice, Fleck said.
They gave alternative methods of preservation that would typically be extremely expensive to have done professionally.
“It’s to educate people about wedding preservation and the best way to preserve these memories,” Fleck said.
However, this open house was not just for brides from the local community.
Fleck said grooms were welcome, too, if they wished to ask about preservation of photos or other documents.
One of the dresses on display dated back to 1888 and survived through four generations before being acquired by the museum.
Visitors gazed at the old photographs and pointed at the antique fabrics on display.
“I love the antique dresses, and my father was born in 1898, so I can relate to some of the old stuff as a small child,” attendee Joyce Wampler said.
One of the many tips was to avoid the photo boxes purchasable at locations like Hobby Lobby, as they may not reliably protect wedding photos from damage and decay.
The museum took three dresses and some photos to the bridal expo at the end of January in the Monroe County Convention Center to advertise for the event, Fleck said.
At the open house, museum employees handed out papers donning printed advice such as, “Basic rules of storage: Items should be clean.
A contemporary item, such as a new christening gown, should be cleaned by the manufacturer’s recommended method before storage.”
Similar discussions will take place at an event March 9.
The event, which will also be presented at the Monroe County History Center, will be center on discussion of undergarments worn in the late 19th and early 20th century.
