Besides watching reenactments of the Battle of Bull Run, visitors at Lake Villa Civil War Days on Saturday, Sept. 17, and Sunday, Sept. 18, will have the chance to view Ainsley Wonderling’s vintage clothing collection of the Civil War era.

The 58-year-old Lake Villa resident collects garments from the 1860s because the stories behind the dresses intrigue her, she said.

“I just like to ponder the stories about why were they saved, and what did they mean to these women to keep them for 150 years?” Wonderling said. “Or the families; did they just get lost in the attic, or were they gently handed down from one generation to the next with the explanation, which has [since] been lost?”

Wonderling’s collection is part of the Lehmann Mansion tour that patrons can view for a small fee. And if they visit the ballroom where her collection will be on display, she’ll be sure to explain as much as she can about each individual piece.

“Each dress has a story to tell,” she said.

Wonderling went on the record with Lake County Journal reporter Stephanie N. Lehman to talk about what people can learn about her vintage clothing collection at Lake Villa Civil War Days.

Lehman: How did you become interested in collecting vintage clothing?

Wonderling: I started [collecting] vintage clothing when I bought a hall tree, and I had a great aunt that provided me with some hats from the 1930s to put on the hall tree. This was 30 years ago [when I decided] I was going to collect hats. Then I decided, no, they're going to run me out of house and home; I'll collect from WWI back, hats and bonnets. And we used to go to New England every year for two weeks doing genealogy and antiquing. And so, that's when I would find maybe one, two at the most. Of course, this was long before computer and EBay and Ruby Lane. So, from there, they became scarce, and I began to look for dresses to go with my hats and bonnets. And then we kind of zeroed in on the Civil War.

Why did you zero in on the Civil War?

Because it's always a charming period of time. People think of it from the war standpoint, but other people think of it from the home front standpoint. And through doing genealogy and family history, you just get involved in one area and go from there.

What era are your clothes from?

I have my mother's clothes and my clothes, so they're current from the hippie era back to ... I think my earliest gown is 1810, and my bonnets go back – I have one from the 1780s.

And where have you found all of these garments and hats?

Primarily in New England, because as the families came west, the early things didn't travel with them, and it was harder to get some of the fabrics and things here in the Midwest than you could on the east coast. So, mainly on the east coast. Still, I go back to a fair in Massachusetts once a year, and that's usually pretty good, but of course everybody else in the country goes to the same antique fair. Everybody else in the country also goes to eBay, but you get to know the people you're dealing against and the dealers.

So, you do find things on eBay, too?

Yes. Not as often, because it's cost-prohibitive – eBay gets way up there. But if you go to the antique flea markets, I did find in Grayslake an 1850s dress ... but that's the only local find I've ever made.

Why did you decide to make your collection part of Lake Villa Civil War Days?

When they started the reenactment, the first year, they only had it on one day. And the next year, they were going to open the [Lehmann] Mansion – the village [of Lake Villa] had purchased the mansion and they were renovating it and they were going to open it. And I volunteered along with a man who lives over in Spring Grove, because they were going to charge to give tours of the mansion, and I said, well, this is a big empty building – let us throw some dresses in there. And we did that, and then it just kind of grew into a life of its own. And the man in Spring Grove had dresses of all eras, so he didn't have as many Civil War things as I had, so he dropped out after two or three years.

So, your passion now is to fill the mansion with Civil War-era things?

We put them in the ballroom, so it's only in one room on the tour. But the reenactors themselves consider themselves living historians, and I consider myself a member of the historical society, so I'm not afraid to pull up my skirt – because I do wear a reproduction of one of my gowns, I have a dress maker that makes one for me – and I'm not afraid to show my hoop skirt to you. But the reenactors would no more think of doing that than flying to the moon. That just was not done, to show off your hoop skirt or your ankles or your neck or anything like that until after dark, and then you could allow your bosom to show or your hair could be up for the ball.

What can people learn from looking at your collection?

That’s what the reeneactors learn. They come because they like to see the dress with the purple polka dots. If you have images of your family at home, and everything looks so dark and drab, and it’s a war, and everybody pictures that it’s just a dark and terrible time. And then when you come and see that I have two dresses with purple polka dots, and orange paisleys and lime green – that dye was actually made with arsenic, so they call them arsenic dresses, and if you handle them, you have to wash your hands, although the women wore them, so they didn’t die … but they’re bright colors and just fabulous clothes. And when you see them in museums, they have them under museum lighting, so the lighting is drab, because they’re afraid of prolonged exposure to bright light – it’s not good for the dresses. These are only out for 48 hours, and then they’re packed back away. And the reenactors will come in and say, see, I told you you could wear purple polka dots. Or, I told you that you could cut the bodice on a bias, or just lots of different things that you can’t tell from pictures. So, for them, they learn. And I’ve had many women come in that have said, I made that dress. And last winter, when I was down in Springfield at the Midwest Civil War Civilians Conference and I had a ball gown, [a lady] said, “I’m going to make that ball gown.” So, it’s flattering, but it’s also wonderful for them to have the opportunity, and there’s no point in having them stuck in boxes under the bed when you can share.

And this is the perfect opportunity, because all of the Civil War encampments in the area – now there is one out in Pennslvania that has antique clothing on display – but nobody else out here has this. So, if you want to come and see the horses and the canons and the ladies, they're all there. It's a great, great event, but to come and see the clothing adds just a little bit extra that none of the other Midwest reenactments can offer.

What surprises people the most when they see your collection?

I think that things have survived as long as they have, or [they'll ask] why did people save these things? And I've had people say, well, see, they really were recycling. They were green back then – well, they were green by necessity. Like any time during a war, you have to make do with what you have, so the skirts would be cut down to children's clothing. But the fact that so many survived, and I always wonder the stories.

Are you showing anything different this year?

Some you can tell were wedding gowns. And we are going to feature wedding gowns this year. I have one that’s white, but very few women could afford white. It was impractical, it was expensive and most women would get married in just a nice day dress. It could be plaid or striped, it didn’t matter. And so, some of those you figure probably were wedding dresses, but they seldom came down the provenance, and if they do, it’ll say “Grandma Smith’s wedding dress,” or “Grandma’s wedding dress,” which is even worse because sometimes you can tell what part of the country they originated and then kind of discern if they have an odd family name, if you can get a family provenance. I have one where I have a picture of the woman in the dress that survived; one of a little girl in a dress that she wore, but that’s pretty rare stuff.

Wonderling lowdown

Who she is: Retired physicians's assistant and current museum director at Lakes Region Historical Society in Antioch who collects vintage clothing from the Civil War era

Village of residence: Lake Villa

Age: 58 years old

Family: Husband, Bob

Favorite vacation spot: New England

Favorite article of clothing to wear: “Don’t tell - Crocs.”

To learn more about Lake Villa Civil War Days: www.lakevillahistory.org/services.aspx