 |
| The beautiful Elizabeth, dressed in original 1940s vintage. |
But with the younger fashions, like the 1940s, our home town of Reno actually serves quite nicely. We don't have a lot of very old buildings, but we do have some from the 1930s and 1940s surviving. So for this shoot with Elizabeth, vintage fashion connoisseur, I thought we could actually celebrate Reno's past.
Where better to do that but on the Washoe County Courthouse steps, where thousands of women have become brides and divorcees. This is the famous courthouse from "The Misfits," and one of the most beautiful buildings in downtown Reno.
One of the traditions from the past was for a lady to "kiss the column" upon existing the courthouse doors, her divorce finalized. While no lipstick stains remain, the column still stands as a monument of 20th century female freedom from bad marriages. Check out the newsreel above for glimpses of Reno in 1943, and happy gals "kissing the column."
So, naturally, The Column played a role in our photo shoot.
 |
| Reno in the 1940s - Washoe County Courthouse - Elizabeth is wearing all vintage paired with the beautiful reproduction 1940s shoes "Betty" from Royal Vintage Shoes |
I hope you've enjoyed our photos! Here are the details:
Dress: Vintage
Hat: Vintage
Gloves: Vintage
Model: Elizabeth Pedersen
Location: Washoe County Courthouse, Reno, NV
Posts
Thank you for the introduction to some Reno history! I don't know much about that part of the country, and I love the column kissing tradition!
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome :-) Thank you for following
DeleteWhat a perfect showcase for your shoes--a dramatic vintage dress, with all the right accessories, on a lovely woman! Kudos to Elizabeth; she wears and poses in the outfit very well.
ReplyDeleteShe really does! Thank you!
DeleteAwesome! I love the part about the column kissing tradition--you so often hear about wedding traditions, not divorce ones! I love it.
ReplyDeleteThey go hand-in-hand here. We still have some of the oldest wedding chapels, right next to the pawn shops where one could buy...or sell...a wedding band!
DeleteThey also tossed their wedding rings into the Truckee River next to the courthouse. Or so the story goes.
ReplyDeletePeople used to fish them out I think. No more vintage wedding rings at the Virginia Street bridge these days, though, lol
DeleteBeautiful photos and I love the location. The kissing column is just fantastic! The shoes are gorgeous and I'm eagerly waiting for Miss L Fire to deliver the same in white, so it's great to see them on someone. xx
ReplyDeleteThank you! They are amazing shoes. In fact, I'm wearing my pair today because I love them so much :-)
DeleteLove the video clip ha!
ReplyDeleteMe too!
DeleteThis was great Lauren. I love the Misfits history lesson (I grew up in the town where they shot the bar scene) I love that you find such beautiful ways to bring this part of the country into view... Have you ever considered shooting some of your Victorian era shoes outside of Reno. There are soe great places with tons of history!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, particularly Virginia City and Truckee. Great locations with lots of "patina," if not a bit of a drive, but worth it.
DeleteGreat photos! Interesting to learn about Nevada's history too. You should come up to New England sometime to shoot, lots of great locations and tons of cool history too. :)
ReplyDelete-Emily
Oh yes, don't I wish I could just dash over to New England to shoot - I'm always bemoaning how deserty-mountainy our landscape is when I need it to look like New England. Or Old England. lol
DeleteSeriously, if you ever make the trip let me know! I have a few connections with some fun historic sites. :)
DeleteI wonder if my grandmother stopped by any of those places. She was born and raised in Sparks. Will need to look up her wedding pictures (quickly planned an executed, due to orders for Korea) but I think it was a church.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this blog about online shopping for women. Really your informative blog helpful for online shopping for women.
ReplyDelete