Costume c. 1937

Curator: What first jumps out to you about this drawing, given how little time we have? I feel completely transported. There's a wistful charm to it. Editor: Charm, definitely. And constraints. It looks like it was stitched together from scraps, not just aesthetically, but maybe literally. Look at the paper and the back view taped on; everything hints at resourcefulness dictating design. Curator: This work, "Costume," by Mary E. Humes from around 1937, does strike a resourceful chord. Knowing it’s rendered in what looks like pencil emphasizes this feeling. But to me, it feels like daydreaming! You know, lost in a book as a kid, imagining what the characters are wearing... Editor: The layering and textures intrigue me – the implied materials are where the interest lies. See the sheer vertical stripes juxtaposed with dense florals. What does that say about available resources and material culture during that time? Was this kind of combination usual for a particular economic background? Curator: Precisely! It’s the meeting of high and low, of practicality and fantasy. Like mixing homemade jam with vintage lace, just for oneself! The sketch showcases this kind of subtle defiance by elevating everyday garb, giving us an imaginary, internal theater. Editor: So you interpret "defiance." I am not so sure. I see an exercise in making do; patching together styles or limited resources, maybe reflecting the Depression-era sensibility? It uses common techniques with a subtle rebellion using different textures and construction techniques. Curator: That might just be my romantic spirit sneaking in. Yet, isn’t that the essence of design? The attempt to find beauty, expression, even liberty within constraints? This garment, on paper, promises a space that the woman wearing this imagined "Costume" owns! Editor: A thought-provoking reading! Thanks. I hadn’t thought about "freedom" within constraints. For me, this speaks volumes about process – a delicate, resourceful conversation between textile, body, and world around it. The layering is really successful. Curator: Thank you! A collaboration across decades between our views. We were able to consider “Costume” not just as a drawing but as a dream realized and reconsidered.