On a recent spring weekend, I took a road trip from Seattle to the Columbia River Gorge to see this world-class art museum that overflows with curious gems from around the world and across time. It had been on my bucket list ever since listening to an episode of the 99% Invisible podcast that chronicled the museum’s legacy. With a life-long obsession with art, vintage clothing, antiques, and tiny things, I set off to Maryhill to find the epicenter of my interests.
As I stepped foot inside the scenic 100-year old mansion, I was transported to 19th-century Romania by an opulent collection of Queen Marie’s possessions. Downstairs, I was stopped by a massive room of Auguste Rodin sculptures, along with the work of his comrade, trailblazing performance artist Loïe Fuller, and, finally, a never-ending hall of North American indigenous artifacts. Out on the deck and in the garden, I was surprised to find a full-size replica of Stonehenge, a full sculpture park, and jaw-dropping views of the river. But it wasn't until I got to the top floor that I saw the real magic. Something so whimsical, I was lucky to have my best friend by my side to confirm it was real: a massive display of dolls dressed to the nines in teeny-tiny haute couture. I was not dreaming!
The Théâtre de la Mode (Theatre of Fashion) is a collection of one-third-life-size mannequins adorned with meticulously styled wigs, high-fashion garb designed by household-name couturiers like Hermes, Schiaparelli, Nina Ricci, and Balenciaga, and miniature accessories equipped with working buttons, zippers, and buckles. The collection was a post-World War II effort amongst Parisian designers to restore their legacy and harken back to the days of luxury before the war. The project also brought in artists, most notably French writer and filmmaker Jean Cocteau, to create detailed sets for the dolls as they traveled across the world, reinstilling hope in the fashion industry.
Just how did these French treasures end up in Klickitat County, Washington? The museum’s website writes: “When it appeared at Louvre’s Museum of Decorative Arts in 1945, the Théâtre de la Mode opening drew 100,000 visitors. The exhibition toured Europe and the United States in 1946, before languishing in the basement of San Francisco’s City of Paris department store. The sets were lost, but the mannequins were saved through the efforts of Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, who championed their transfer to Maryhill Museum of Art.”
Now fully refurbished and on display with rebuilt theatrical sets, the Maryhill Museum alternates between nine displays, showcasing three different assemblies each year to international doll enthusiasts, fashion buffs, local residents, and spontaneous road-trippers.
The museum is open now through November 15 (they close up shop for the winter months), and all of the exhibits mentioned above are part of the permanent collection. As for me, I’ll be back next spring to see a whole new display of the Théâtre de la Mode!
