The museum is currently prepping for a new exhibit on the history and evolution of female undergarments, and needs a few more pieces to round out it's collection. The exhibit, titled "
Underneath It All," is slated to open July 1. The somewhat risque exhibit is a logical choice for St. Louis, as the city was once a hub for lingerie production.
Understandably, the museum doesn't want to sort through piles of low-quality underwear. The exhibit will span the years from 1800 to the present, and so curators are requesting donations in only a few limited categories. Both old-fashioned and relatively modern items will be considered, including things like Wonderbras, corsets, inflatable bras, and even the shoulder pads that defined the look of women's wear in the 1980s. Children's items, Spanx, and maternity bras are also on the museum's
most wanted list.
"It's really about more than corsets and bullet bras," said
Shannon Meyer, a senior curator for the museum. "I hope that, when people go to the exhibit, they walk away with a better understanding of women's history, and how history in general influenced something that seems as insignificant as underwear."
Have some vintage or modern lingerie you want to donate to the cause? You can mail them to Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Boulevard, Saint Louis, MO 63112, or email an inquiry to
objects@mohistory.org.
