Downton
Abbey Visits
the Biltmore
By Sandra Chambers
F
ans of the popular PBS
television series Downton
Abbey don’t have to travel to
Highclere Castle to experience
firsthand what life was like at
Downton Abbey or to view original
costumes of their favorite characters.
The Biltmore House, the grand
250-room Vanderbilt estate in
Asheville, North Carolina, is
showcasing 47 costumes from the
show during its exhibition: Dressing
Downton: Changing Fashions for
Changing Times, which runs from
February 5th through May 25th, 2015.
“The day-to-day running of the
(Vanderbilt) house was surprisingly
similar to that of Downton Abbey,”
explains Biltmore Director of
Museum Services, Ellen Rickman.
“Just like Downton has a Mr. Carson
and Mrs. Hughes, Biltmore had its
own cast of fascinating characters.
Displaying these fabulous costumes
from the show gives us an
unparalleled opportunity to
delve into Biltmore’s stories.”
The award-winning costumes, created
by London costume house Cosprop,
Ltd., were designed with inspiration
from photographs and historic
patterns. Some are original pieces from
the period while others incorporate
antique decorative elements that
inspired the overall costume design.
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Re ectin an ra o
han e
The post-Edwardian era in which
Downton Abbey is set was a time of
change both in the U.S. and abroad,
an th
rio o t m r
t
that history. The costume collection
begins in 1912 with the sinking of
the Titanic and moves into the years
surrounding World W