Ashley Rush, executive director of the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum in Athens, Tenn., makes sure a wedding veil is just perfect in one of the current exhibits.ATHENS, Tenn. – Weddings and American art get top summer billing over the next two months at the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum.
A century of wedding gowns went on display last week in an exhibit continuing through July 22, and prints from 19th century American artist Winslow Homer go on display in July.
The gowns, donated to the museum’s permanent collection by local families, range from the Civil War Reconstruction era through the 1950s.
“It was interesting to me that many of the dresses were not white,” said Ashley Rush, museum executive director.
Money was hard to come by after the Civil War, so brides added lace and trimmings to their best dresses, Rush said. Most brides could not afford the expense of having a dress for only one occasion, she said.