Goddesses in the Machine: Fashion in American Silent Film
On view September 18, 2026–January 3, 2027

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When films were silent, fashion spoke volumes. This exhibition—the first major show to explore fashion in American silent film—reveals the untold story of costume and style in early Hollywood, tracing the evolution from actors wearing their own personal wardrobes to the emergence of the professional movie costume designer. Goddesses in the Machine shows how silent film transformed fashion from individual expression into a powerful tool of storytelling, laying the groundwork for modern movie glamour.

The exhibition brings together a remarkable selection of rare surviving objects from the earliest days of cinema, highlighting the work of celebrated designers including Travis Banton, Henri Bendel, Clare West, and Lucile, also known as Lady Duff Gordon, alongside lesser-known figures such as Madame Frances, Israel Miller, Natacha Rambova, and Lilian St. Cyr. A vivid display of period ensembles and accessories will be complemented by film clips and works on paper—photographs, posters, film stills, and costume design sketches—offering a fuller picture of this largely untold history.

Goddesses in the Machine is curated by Michelle Finamore, independent fashion and design historian, and Emma Cormack, associate curator for exhibitions and Study Collection curator at Bard Graduate Center.

Support for Goddesses in the Machine: Fashion in American Silent Film is generously provided by the Coby Foundation, the Wyeth Foundation for American Art, with additional support by Camilla Dietz Bergeron, Ltd., and other donors to Bard Graduate Center.

Related lectures will take place September 23 and October 28. Save the dates.

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Bard Graduate Center Gallery, 18 West 86th Street, New York, NY 10024

New Gallery Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 11 am–5 pm
Wednesday: 11 am–6 pm
Thursday: 11 am–5 pm
Friday: 11 am–8 pm, *Free admission all day, every Friday
Saturday–Sunday: 11 am–5 pm