Michelle Finamore and Emma Cormack

Of the more than 11,000 films produced between 1895 and 1930 in the United States—what we now know as the “silent era”—only about 23% survive. Many of these titles are in a compromised state: volatile cellulose nitrate film stock has faded, degraded, and even combusted over a century of storage. Ensembles and accessories worn on the screen have suffered similar deterioration and neglect. Opening in September 2026, BGC’s Goddesses in the Machine explores the understudied topic of fashion and costume in American silent film, taking this scarcity as its point of departure.

In the BGC Gallery, a vibrant display of 30 garments and more than 45 accessories will be enriched by accompanying photographs, posters, and costume sketches. Together, these objects will illuminate a formative moment when fashion shaped the nascent language of cinema. But how do we responsibly reconstruct a period from which very little material history survives? Curators Michelle Finamore and Emma Cormack will discuss the challenges inherent in this project, from navigating the restoration and display of fragile items long out of public view to how surviving ephemera and new discoveries can help surface overlooked stories.

Tuesday, April 7, 12:15 pm

38 West 86th Street, Lecture Hall
Tea, coffee, and snacks will be served starting at noon.
No registration required.