Apron Museum facts for kids
| Established | 2006 |
|---|---|
| Location | Iuka, Mississippi, United States of America |
| Type | Fashion museum |
The Apron Museum in Iuka, Mississippi, is a special place! It's the only museum in the whole United States that's all about aprons and the cool stories they can tell.
How the Museum Started
Carolyn Terry, who grew up in Iuka, started this unique museum. She used to go to sales to buy books. But she found herself really interested in the different fabrics of aprons. She started buying many aprons, which made her want to learn more about them. Carolyn Terry opened The Apron Museum in 2006.
What You Can See
The museum has thousands of aprons! Some are very old, dating back to the American Civil War. Others are more modern and fun. You can find aprons with Star Wars and Family Guy themes. There's even an apron with a napkin signed by Tom Cruise stapled to it!
The aprons are grouped by the U.S. state they came from. There are also aprons from Canada and Australia.
Just like the Museum of Bags and Purses in Amsterdam, the Apron Museum shows aprons as a type of art form. You can see how artists designed their apron patterns. You can also learn about the needlework and sewing techniques used.
Aprons have been important garments for many different people. This includes ladies, blacksmiths, butchers, carpenters, printers, shopkeepers, and especially homemakers.
Aprons can also tell us about a person's social class. Wealthy people could afford fancier fabrics and embroidery. This made their aprons look more detailed and special. So, aprons could also be status symbols, like designer purses or shoes today.
Most of the aprons in the museum are from the 1950s. Back then, women wore stylish aprons when they hosted parties. Men wore chef-style aprons for backyard barbecuing.
Aprons were made from many materials. These include checkered cotton gingham and handkerchiefs. Some were even made from recycled feed and flour sacks. They were often decorated with appliquéd bows, rickrack, ruffles, and big pockets.
Many people donate aprons to the museum. They often include a handwritten letter. These letters share the apron's history and stories. Visitors also share their apron-related stories. All these stories are kept as part of the museum's collection.
