The Film Costumes of Edith Head and Mother's Hats: The Doris Elliott Collection

June 17 - August 21

The Film Costumes of Edith Head features 46 watercolor sketches for film costume design. Edith Head dressed the stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age in the looks that made them legends Head remains the most honored woman in film history with 35 nominations and eight Oscars®.

Edith Head dressed the stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age in the looks that made them legends Head remains the most honored woman in film history, with 35 nominations and eight Oscars®. This exhibit features 46 watercolor costume sketches (from movies such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Nutty Professor, Sabrina,  and Vertigo) by Head and her large staff of artists, along with reproductions of Edith Head designed costumes, photographs of the designer, assorted memorabilia, a compilation of film exerts and a replica of Edith Head’s work station.

Organized with the assistance of the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research and Price Tower Arts Center, Bartlesville, Oklahoma. With appreciation to Maxine Fleckner Ducey, Film Archivist from the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin, and Scott Perkins, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at Price Tower Arts Center, Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Also a special thanks to the students of Dr. Adriana Petrova, Assistant Professor in the Department of Design, Housing, and Merchandising at Oklahoma State University, including Brooke Alfrey,  Melanie Stevens, Lindsay Gin, Nikki Michelle Gunter, Rachel Hamilton, Paivy Pederson, Kristen Marie Webster, and Raven Zimmer. (Still seeking permission from Nicole Stuart and Megan Tarlton to use their dresses.) Through their Apparel Design class in the fall of 2009 created the reproduction costumes form Edith Head designs. Also like to express our thanks to Brian Hearn, Film Curator, Oklahoma City Museum of Art.

The Doris Elliott Collection

The Collection of 17 fashionable hats, owned and delightfully worn by the mother of Rand Elliott, represents the heyday of Downtown Oklahoma City.  They graced the places where Doris Mae and Hubert dined, danced, shopped and painted the town.  The era spanned post-World War II into the ‘60s – when department stores and streets bustled; movie theatres thrived.

It is a celebration of hats and historic Oklahoma City – the OKC so many citizens fondly remember.  People would dress up to go downtown.  Especially Doris.