Former Hanoverian Ann Roth's photograph is seen next to a sketch from 'The English Patient.' She earned an Oscar for her costume work in that film. The Hanover (Pa.) Area Historical Society will display some of Roth's sketches in March at the Warehime-Myers Mansion in Hanover. Background posts: York County continuing ed classes offered for matures who love to learn and Cameron Mitchell, Craig Sheffer, Dixie Chick born here and Young Alan Alda performed along the Codorus? Researcher checking that out.
The Hanover Area Historical Society is exhibiting sketches by famed costume designer Ann Roth this month.
In so doing, the society is taking a step the 20-something historical groups throughout York County should emulate: Embrace popular culture as part of the historical enterprise.
Communities throughout York County have produced dozens of celebrities... .
Hanover Area Historical Society President James E. Schuman shows Ann Roth's 'Song of Norway' sketches. The exhibition of Ann Roth costume designs is open from 10 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Wednesdays, noon to 3:15 p.m. Saturdays, or by appointment through the end of March at the Warehime-Myers Mansion, Baltimore and Hanover streets, Hanover. Admission is $5 for the exhibit. For details, call the mansion at (717) 637-6413.
In addition to Roth, mystery writer Rita Mae Brown, Madame Butterfly's John Luther Long and sports figures Al Bemiller, Jim Spencer, Robert Rohrbaugh and Pat Flaherty are just a few of the celebrities who have Hanover links. (Click here for others from Hanover and here for celebrities from elsewhere in York County.)
People are enamored with celebrities, and they would come to an exhibit where they could see the stars.
Hey, famous people from York County's towns are part of its history.
Here's a Hanover Evening Sun story on the exhibit (2/28/09):
When she came to the Warehime-Myers Mansion to help set up an exhibit of some of her drawings, Academy Award-winning costume designer and Hanover native Ann Roth had specific instructions for how the sketches and cloth swatches should be displayed.
She had some of them laid out on a table in the Lady's Parlor of the mansion, owned and operated by the Hanover Area Historical Society. She told those overseeing the exhibit, which runs through the end of March at the mansion at Baltimore and Hanover streets, that she wanted people to pick them up and look at them.
"They're working documents," she said. "Very much like an architect's blue prints."
She said the renderings are meant for her, the director and those in the tailoring shop that constructs the costumes. They get handed around. And sometimes at the end of the day, when a little wine is sipped while talking over a particular design, the sketches can get dirty.
"Then there's a ring of wine on the page," she said. "They're not a precious document."
The historical society organized the small exhibit of sketches from about 20 movies on which Roth has worked. She's been nominated for and won a host of awards for her work, including an Oscar for "The English Patient."
Sketches on display include designs for that movie as well as films like "Singing in the Rain" and "The Hours."
But they also include more recent movies, such as "Mama Mia," and newspaper clippings detailing the Barbra Streisand movie "The Owl and the Pussycat," in which the costume was considered quite risqué when it was released in 1970.
Though some of the renderings belong to Roth, many are on loan from local residents who had picked them up at auction, said James Schuman, president of the historical society. In fact, Colleen Reese, head docent at the mansion, had a few of them and helped to organize the show.
Roth, who graduated from Eichelberger High School in 1949, went to Carnegie Institute of Technology (today Carnegie Mellon University). Her father and uncle owned a jewelry shop on York Street in Hanover, not far from where she grew up on West Hanover Street.
Today she lives in Bangor, in eastern Pennsylvania. But she travels the world to work on movies and in theater.
Roth said she was glad the mansion put her work on display.
"It's a learning space," she said.
And art teachers from local high schools, including Hanover and South Western, plan to take their students in the coming days to check out the exhibit, Schuman said.
Reese said it's exciting to know young people are getting exposure to a fellow Hanoverian's work in this kind of field.
"I think students would be more interested because of shows like 'Project Runway,'" she said.
Additional posts on York County popular culture and celebrities:
YLT + YSO = A1 entertainment, Another list of entertainers with York links, and Stand-in stole show in YLT's "Inherit the Wind."
Wow! I've always admired her costume designs, but I didn't realize she went to Carnegie Tech! Thanks for sharing the link Jim.
MakingOf has an EXCLUSIVE interview with Ann Roth which I think you, your staff, and fans will enjoy. The costume designer discusses her creative process, how she work with actors, and gives great advice to aspiring costume designers.
http://makingof.com/insiders/media/ann/roth/ann-roth-on-costume-design-pt-2/61/172
MakingOf is a new site founded by Natalie Portman and Christine Aylward which caters to all movie-lovers on a fresh and innovative platform by giving a behind-the-scenes pass for exclusive content and interviews with industry insiders. They have interviewed a wide range of professionals, from critically-acclaimed actors to highly-experienced camera operators, and continue to post new content and media on a daily basis.
Also, their community section launched today! They've created an interactive network for us to engage with industry experts and to exchange ideas, gain knowledge and connect with fellow fans.
MakingOf is definitely worth checking out!
Ann Roth and I were childhood friends...her grandfather, Rev. Roth married my parents in 1930, in Hanover; her aunt, Marion deVyver, was my mother's college roommate.
As long as my Mother was living, she kept in touch with the Roth & deVyver families...that was 25 years ago.
I would like to get in touch with Ann, if at all possible. She can e-mail me at NRMackie@aol.com or call me 302-234-0450
The Hanover Area Historical Society might help you make contact: http://www.hanoverareahistoricalsociety.org/.
Also, notice she appeared on Making of as described in this post: http://www.yorkblog.com/yorktownsquare/2009/05/annroth.html. Perhaps that producer could be of some help.
Jim McClure
Yes, indeed. Very interesting site. See the post: http://www.yorkblog.com/yorktownsquare/2009/05/annroth.html for more on Ann Roth's appearance on MakingOf.
Jim McClure
Ann Roth is a cousin to my late mother Annettia Johnson Hornketh....I would very much like to talk to her, through email would be fine....I know she is very busy!!! As a child I remember my mother writing to Ann's mother Nellie. I still have a letter from Ann to my mother explaining where Aunt Nellie was when she did not hear from her for a while. I have been putting together our family tree, and can not place Aunt Nellie on it. Would like to know if she was part of the Johnson Family!!!
My mother and Ann Roth are cousins. I remember as a child my mother writing letters to Ann's mother Aunt Nellie. The last letter I remember coming to the house was a letter from Ann herself explaining why my mom had not heard from Aunt Nellie, I think Ann had a brother Jim. I would very much like to correspond with Ann Roth to find out if she is from the Johnson family as I can not place them in the family tree I have started!! Please email me if you can be of help!!!