Thursday, February 18
Rosecliff, 548 Bellevue Avenue
11:00 a.m.


Please note correct starting time for this event is 11 a.m., not 2 p.m. 

Rebecca Kelly, Assistant Conservator, The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York

F. Scott Fitzgerald's references to dress in The Great Gatsby are subtle, but they contribute significantly to the development of many of the novel's underlying themes.  Dress references serve as important indicators of the loosening of rules of etiquette during the 1920s.  These changes in social behavior are indicative of the complex and widespread societal shifts occurring after the First World War. 

This illustrated lecture will chronicle the developments in fashion in America through the Jazz Age.  Images from 1920s era fashion periodicals, photographs, and extant pieces in museum collections will be used to hypothetically outfit the main characters and make comparisions to the costume designs for the 1974 film version of The Great Gatsby.

Admission is free, but space is limited and advance registration is requested.  Call (401) 847-1000 ext. 154 to inquire about space availability.



The Great Gatsby Winter Series lectures and events are part of a community-wide reading project with the Newport Public Library.  This project is funded, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read program.

Read The Great Gatsby and form a discussion group!  The Newport Public Library will host a series of discussion groups throughout the winter.  For dates, times and locations, visit www.newportlibraryri.org.

For more information on The Big Read, visit www.NEABigRead.org

Click here for the full calendar of events.