Costumes from Mercy Street at the Lyceum

The not-renewed but still-missed "Mercy Street" lent four costumes used in the series to the Lyceum--one each worn by Mary Phinney, Emma Green, Alice Green, and Jed Foster. The clothes, on mannequins, are accompanied by photos of when the characters wore the clothes. 

A blog post on the Mercy Street site featured an interview with the series costume designer, Amy Andrews Harrell. She talked about finding old material on Ebay, various shops, and even a jacket in her own closet pressed into service.

The dresses of the women who worked--in the hospital for Emma, Mary, and Anne, and out of it for Charlotte and Belinda--are far more practical than the huge, crinoline-filled dresses in fashion. They had to be. Still, they wore long, tight sleeves in the heat, and thick aprons over their dresses.

The exhibit is in the main hall of the Lyceum through September 1. A larger exhibit is also about to open about Alexandria during World War I.