New Exhibition: “Goddess in the Machine: Fashion in American Silent Film,” Bard Graduate Center (New York), Sept. 18, 2026 – Jan. 3, 2027

Curated by Michelle Finamore and Emma Cormack, Goddesses in the Machine opens September 18 at the Bard Graduate Center in New York City. The exhibition “traces the Development of Costume Design Through a Selection of Rare Surviving Objects from 1895 to the Introduction of ‘Talkies’ in the Late 1920s.”

From the exhibition webpage:

“When films were silent, fashion spoke volumes. Goddesses in the Machine reveals the untold story of costume and style in early Hollywood, from actors wearing their own clothes to the birth of the movie costume designer. The first major exhibition to explore fashion in American silent film, Goddesses in the Machine shows how silent films transformed fashion from personal expression into powerful storytelling, creating the blueprint for modern movie glamour. Bringing together a selection of rare surviving objects from the advent of cinema, the exhibition highlights the behind-the-scenes work of famous designers such as Travis Banton, Henri Bendel, Clare West, and Lucile, Lady Duff-Gordon, as well as lesser-known names including Madame Frances, I. Miller, Natacha Rambova, and Lilian St. Cyr. A vibrant display of ensembles and accessories at the Bard Graduate Center Gallery will be enriched by accompanying film clips and works on paper including photographs, posters, film stills, and costume design sketches.”

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue featuring essays by several WFPP contributors!