A delightful surprise at the Winterthur Museum was an exhibit of costumes from the hit Masterpiece Theater drama Downton Abbey.  Be still my heart!  Serendipity – “a fortuitous happenstance.”  If I could have done backflips, I would have.  To say that I was excited would be an understatement.  (In fact, we had to be creative – with the help of the staff – to be able to get tickets for the exhibit – buy your tickets in advance.)  Yes, Downton Abbey is considered the star of the show, but the period inspired costumes also take center stage.  While watching the various episodes, I have often wondered what it would be have been like to have worn the lovely dresses of the upstairs ladies.

The exhibit compared the lifestyle of the fictional Downton Abbey estate with the real-life American Winterthur estate.

Included in the exhibit were forty costumes from both the downstairs and upstairs characters.  “I remember seeing that,” was a phrase I heard more than once during our tour.  The display of bells that summon the staff of Downton Abbey was interesting.

As soon as electricity was available, the du Pont family had these call buttons installed.

Photographs and videos accompanied each costume.  Anna always looks crisp in this costume.

Lovely cool frocks were worn to the garden party by Lady Sybil and Lady Mary.

Mr. Carson has arm coverings to protect his white shirt while polishing shoes.  Can you imagine doing this type of work while wearing a tie?

We learned something about pinstriped suits.  Each bank had their own color and pinstripe pattern for the suits worn by their employes.  You could tell which bank the man worked for by the suit he was wearing.  Live and learn.

This costume worn by Lady Sybil certainly turned some heads.

The gowns were beautiful.

Remember the cricket match?

Then there was the hunting scene.  Matthew dressed too warmly.

Be still my heart!  Just look at these gorgeous boots.  I like them.  I love them.

Lady Edith’s wedding dress was exquisite.

Oh, my heart went pitty pat when I saw the costumes Lady Mary and Matthew wore on the night Matthew proposed.  I loved reliving the scene by watching the video.

There was a festive air to the exhibit.  Many ladies came dressed for the occasion.  Aren’t they cute?

The exhibit runs through January 4, 2015.  If you are anywhere near Delaware, and you are a Downton Abbey fan, you must go.  (Ever-Lovin’ enjoyed it also.)  Voice of experience – It is highly recommended to reserve your tickets in advance.

I so wanted all of my friends who love Downton Abbey to be with me that day.  I really hated that you were not with me.  We could go back.

Blessings to you and yours,

My disappointment – We did not get to tour Winterthur – the 175 room mansion that contains the fabulous collection of American decorative arts.  Tours were coming through, and we would have had to wait about two hours.  We decided to go a few miles down the road to the Longwood Gardens. (More about that later.)

There is another exhibit of costumes from Downton Abbey in Toronto, but I did not see plans for a tour of the exhibit.

Now I have a very legitimate excuse to return to Delaware – I “need” to tour Winterthur.  Don’t you agree?