Historic costumes from across the Highlands to go on show in virtual exhibition
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A Victorian mourning dress and a fisherman's gansey from Caithness are among costumes from across the Highlands being featured in a virtual exhibition getting under way this week.
Highland Threads also showcases a waistcoat and jacket said to have belonged to Bonnie Prince Charlie's as well as a Balmoral cap from Strathnaver Museum.
Fourteen museums across the Highlands are taking part in Highland Threads. The virtual exhibition showcases a treasured costume from each museum's collection alongside stories of the people who made the cloth and wore the clothes and where the items were produced.
Neil Buchan, of Castletown Heritage Society, says he is delighted that the mourning dress – which is among the displays at its heritage centre at Castlehill – is part of the project.
He said: "Our entry is a ladies' mourning outfit and is one of a number donated to us by a descendant of the owner. The lady's grandsons emigrated in the late 1800s to work on the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway but, dutifully and regularly, sent home clothes for their grandmother.
"As she was a widow, and at the time there was a strict convention about wearing mourning clothes, all the garments are sombre but beautifully made and no doubt of the latest American fashion. We are very fond of this item from our collection as it represents a time when the attitude to death, funerals and widowhood were vastly different from the present."
Mr Buchan added: "We're delighted that our outfit is part of the Highland Threads exhibition. The project gives people who can't visit the Highlands an opportunity to see the costumes in our collections and learn more about our history.
"We're creating a new display for the dress that will be ready for people who can visit us to see when Castlehill Heritage Centre can reopen."
The Wick Society has selected a fisherman's gansey to feature in the exhibition.
Ian Leith, chairman of the voluntary group that runs Wick Heritage Museum, explained: "The gansey is a warm and mostly waterproof jumper that was used primarily by fishermen. The knitting of the ganseys required great skill. Each has a very distinctive and intricate pattern and knitted in one piece with no seams.
"It is alleged that the patterns either represented a family group or a local community. The theory is that a fisherman washed overboard could be identified by the gansey pattern. Around 50 different patterns have been identified. Wick Heritage Museum is the custodian of original ganseys and they are on permanent display for visitors to see.
"The Highland Threads exhibition has allowed us to work with other museums across the Highlands and to showcase our gansey collection to a wider audience. I'd encourage anyone interested in the history of the Highlands to visit the website."
A Balmoral cap from Strathnaver Museum at Bettyhill is also featured in the exhibition, along with dresses, kilt, hose and waistcoats as a military uniform and a child's knitted swimming costume.
Helen Avenell, partnerships and projects manager at Museums and Heritage Highlands, which produced the project, said: "The diversity of museums across the Highlands is reflected in the varied selection of items in this exhibition. Each costume tells a fascinating story and is a conduit to exploring our Highland heritage.
"Some garments have a strong military connection. Some, like the Gairloch hose and fisherman's gansey, are steeped in a rich history of the place they were made. Like the child’s knitted swimsuit, some provide a glimpse into a past that will resonate with many.
"We even have a 1740s silk dress used as a dressing-up costume for a family's children. Before being donated to the museum, it was put through a washing machine – luckily it survived!"
"The exhibition really is a visual treat. I would encourage anyone interested in the history of the Highlands to visit the website. Highland Threads can be enjoyed from anywhere in the world. It is a new way for people to explore our collections, whether museums are open or closed."
Nicola Henderson, Museums and Heritage Highlands' digital innovation and network manager, explained: "The idea for Highland Threads was conceived at a Highland Heritage Café, a regular online meet-up for people working in heritage. We saw an opportunity to support each other while our museums struggle through temporary closure due to Covid-19 restrictions."
By working together, we can find ways to bring sustainability and resilience to the sector which, like many others, has been hit hard by the economic effects of the pandemic.
"Visitors to the online exhibition are also encouraged to support museums by donating. We hope that, when restrictions ease, the online exhibition will entice people to visit the museums.”
A successful bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund allowed the charity to develop the project.
The virtual exhibition launches on April 1 and can be found at www.highlandthreads.co.uk
A 360-degree video presentation of each costume, alongside close-up shots of stitching, pattern and texture, aims to provide an experience close to viewing the item in real life.
