2023 Fall Issue

Dressing for History
Story by
BONNIE-LYNN NADZEIKA
Photos by KAREN FUCITO
Editor’s Note: While Bonnie-
Lynn typically reports for
Lake Hopatcong News, she
appears in this piece as a guest
columnist.
Everyone remembers a first—first date,
first car, first job.
The first that most impacted me? It was my
first history book in Mrs. Gardner’s secondgrade
class at Edith M. Decker School in Mount
Arlington.
The book had a mottled red and blue cover.
At the beginning of each chapter was an
illustration of a stream in the forest. First came
the animals. Then the Native Americans. The
first Europeans and so on.
I was mesmerized by this march of “progress”
in the book. I loved the passage of time, the
changes to the landscape, the thought of
generations of people living in the same place
and how they changed that landscape. I loved
feeling as though I was a part of something that
was before me and would be after me.
What happens to the 8-year-old who loves
history? Well, she becomes known as “the girl
who read ‘Gone With the Wind’ in fifth grade.”
In high school, she is teased that her history
teacher doesn’t read her papers or exams, just
gives out an A.
In my first semester in college I got precisely
one A and by now you have figured out
the subject. My parents took a look at
that grade report, and we all agreed
that history was going to be my field of
study.
A degree in history was followed by a
Master of Arts in museum professions.
Internships at museums large and
small—the American Museum of
Natural History in Manhattan, Mystic
Seaport in Connecticut and Macculloch
Hall Museum in Morristown, to
name a few—followed. I became
director of the Morris County
Historical Society, a job I relished
for 12 years.
During my time there, a volunteer with the
historical society showed me pictures she took
during a trip to Cape May with a group of her
friends for Victorian Week. I was enchanted by
the beautiful costumes they were wearing and
the Victorian setting.
My first foray into dressing was a trip with
friends to New York City in 2003, to have
afternoon tea at the St. Regis hotel. New
Yorkers are known for their sangfroid, but we
turned heads. Although, I am still puzzled by
the guys outside of Madison Square Garden
who asked if we had Knicks tickets to sell.
Slowly, this group of history-minded friends
coalesced into a more formal club: The
Metropolitan Vintage Dance and Social Club
(fondly known as the Met Club).
We have no charter, no elected officers
and no membership dues. It is simply a group
of friends with a passion for history, whether
they are admirers of the majestic dances of
19th century America, enthusiasts of ragtime
music or those who enjoy dressing up in bustle
gowns.
The club format simply serves as a way for the
group to make decisions. Members are mostly
from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but we also
have members from Maryland and Virginia.
Teas in New York were followed by my first
Victorian Week in Cape May. (I attended three
over the years.) I wore a teal blue, silk 1890s
gown with puffed sleeves and antique lace.
There have been Civil War-era balls at West
Point and Gettysburg. Our gatherings—from
birthday parties to baby showers—are dressup
events. Our group has been a fixture at
Victorian Days (now Heritage Day) in Belvidere
for 20 years. I tend to participate mostly in
local events, but group members travel to
happenings up and down the East Coast.
We are also happy to loan ourselves out
for a good cause. Members have dressed up
and participated in fundraising events for
the Thomas Edison National Historic Park,
the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms and
Macculloch Hall.
Want to join the group? Well, you will simply
have to start showing up at vintage events that
the group attends, whether it’s Heritage Day in
Belvidere or the annual Met Club-sponsored
Armistice Ball.
Events farther afield include Remembrance
Weekend in Gettysburg. Every November, this
event, which includes fancy balls and a fantastic
parade of soldiers, is held in commemoration
of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
Membership in the Met Club is extended
to those who have demonstrated a consistent
interest in history and their willingness to wear
funny clothes in public.
In late May, 16 of us boarded the Queen
Mary 2 in Brooklyn, New York, for a seven-day
Atlantic crossing to England. Dressed in our
finery, we attracted a lot of attention boarding
Left to right, top to bottom: The
group gathers for a photo after a trip
on Miss Lotta. Helen Macdonald,
Bridget Conlogue and Larry Blasco
playing mini golf. Patricia Bases,
the author, Jim Geyer and Jennifer
Ochmann on the mini golf course.
Gregg Kurlander and Eleanor Bilz
wait their turn to putt.
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LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Fall 2023