Betsy Leiper, working with the Collections Committee, says that what made this exhibit special was that while the Society has gowns dating from 1850 to the 1930's, some are so fragile that they can never be shown again except in photograph. With generous loans from members, there were also on display gowns from 1940 to 2000. Besides the wedding gowns, the focal point in the Wentworth Room was a large collage of wedding pictures of year-round and summer Sandwich residents and their ancestors, whether they were married in town or not, plus significant (25th and 50th) anniversary pictures, engagement and honeymoon photos.

    The 2007 summer exhibit of the Sandwich Historical Society showcased the Society's costume collection. The Elisha Marston House was decorated as for a wedding. There were special displays in the individual rooms culminating with a large grouping of the Society's collection of wedding gowns and related collection in the Wentworth Room. In the parlor, a couple was posing for their formal wedding photograph; a complete trousseau was laid out in the bedroom, and in the dining room the table was set for a wedding reception.

             
 

More photos

    The attached barn in the Elisha Marston house featured the Loss portion of the exhibit, "Old Time Funeral Customs". The Society's collection of black silk dresses and capes, mourning jewelry, embroidered pictures and other mourning mementos were on display along with a tableau lent by Historic Deerfield.

   
                
                       Summer hearse at the Transportation Museum
 

Guests were able to go to the Transportation Museum during open hours to view the summer and winter hearses in the collection.