American Style and Spirit: Fashions and Lives of the Roddis Family, 1850–1995 is an exciting new fashion publication. Shown here for the first time outside the attic in which they were stored for generations are more than 200 wellpreserved garments and accessories, complemented by archival objects, family photographs, and letters. The book is packed with evocative descriptions of the garments’ original owners; when the clothes were made or bought; and even where they were worn—all by members of the Roddis family of Marshfield, Wisconsin.

With a foreword by Valerie Steele, esteemed fashion historian and curator, this book is a unique and invaluable resource for students of fashion and social history, fashion enthusiasts, and the general reader. The featured garments and their designers are presented within the context of the various eras in which they were created, from the turn of the twentieth century to the 1920s, including the Depression, World War I and II, the post-war eras, the 1960s and 1970s up to the mid-1990s. Additional chapters focus on the specifics of travel apparel and the experience of shopping for clothes and accessories in America during the last century.

This well-designed book features still life collages by renowned art photographer, Doug Mindell.

The book received the Millia Davenport Publication Award sponsored by the Costume Society of America, “chosen for the high level of scholarship and for the fact that an original interpretation and study of a collection spanning 150 years contextualized the dress of a middle-class family.”

This publication formed the basis of a major exhibition at Henry Ford Museum entitled American Style and Spirit: 130 Years of Fashions and Lives of an Entrepreneurial Family, which ran from November 5, 2016–April 2, 2017. Highlights of the Roddis Collection will be shown at the Museum of Wisconsin Art from June 11 to September 17, 2017.

In their engaging prefaces, the authors describe the thrill of discovering the rich variety of clothes in the attic belonging to Augusta Roddis—Jane Bradbury’s aunt. Maeder has spent years studying the background of the Roddis Collection, and Bradbury has successfully woven her own research together with Maeder’s discoveries to create a rich tapestry of family, social, and fashion history. The book is structured in chronological and thematic sections, with several individual designers and salons discussed in detail. Thumbnail illustrations of additional items in the Roddis Collection are also included.

“This thoroughly researched book celebrates the extraordinary nature of ordinary lives, and the power of clothing to bring history to life.”

HAMISH BOWLES, INTERNATIONAL EDITOR-AT-LARGE, VOGUE

“Fascinating insights into the significance of fashion in the lives of ordinary men and women.”

VALERIE STEELE, DIRECTOR & CHIEF CURATOR, MUSEUM AT THE FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, NEW YORK

“This stunning book perfectly weaves together the fabric of fashion with the social history of America.”

KAREN AUGUSTA, AUGUSTA AUCTION COMPANY, NEW YORK