Then & Now | Amanda Wicker

Students at the Clarke School of Dressmaking and Fashion Design

Contributed by Patty Edmonson, WRHS’s Museum Advisory Council Curator of Costume & Textiles

The Hunt family lived in Hancock and Washington Counties, in Georgia, at the turn of the 20th century. In 1900, Henry Hunt farmed and his wife Barbara cared for their five (eventually eight) children, including Amanda, born March 5, 1894. Mandy, as she was then called, became increasingly close with her mother and siblings after her father died in the following decade; as an adult, she lived with brothers Julian and Albert at various times. Perhaps because her parents could neither read or write, Amanda was driven to pursue her own education and career at Tuskegee Institute (now University), and as an apprentice to Addie Clarke in Washington D.C. Around 1924, Amanda married fellow Georgian McDuffie Wicker. The couple lived briefly in Savannah, Georgia before moving to Cleveland where Amanda started her dressmaking business and McDuffie worked as a Barber. The Wickers were hardly unusual in their move north, and were part of what is known as the first Great Migration. Black rural southerners sought opportunities in cities like Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland. The first wave of migration began around 1916, when cities experienced shortages of industrial laborers during World War I. Amanda Wicker was a member of Cleveland’s “Georgia Club,” which provided southerners a place to connect and celebrate their Georgian heritage. Clevelanders from other southern states organized similar clubs. By 1936, approximately 15,000 Georgians lived here in Cleveland. Although Amanda’s mother remained in Sandersville, Georgia, she visited her daughter frequently.

After 1925, Amanda operated the Clarke School of Dressmaking and Fashion Design from her home on Cedar Avenue. During the late 1920s the Wickers lived on Cedar Avenue, and after McDuffie’s 1929 death Amanda continued to live and work at various addresses along Cedar between East 89th and 95th Streets. [Map] Perhaps the biggest landmark in her neighborhood was, and still is, the Antioch Baptist Church at the corner of Cedar and East 89th Street. Amanda was integral to the church; she served as a charter member of the Beehive Bible Class, was a member of the Cora Boyd Mission Circle, the Fifty-Plus Club, and the Ta-Wa-Si- Club. At the end of her life she lived in Antioch Towers senior apartments.

Located primarily at 8911 and 9202 Cedar Avenue, the Clarke School offered classes for this predominantly African American neighborhood until the 1980s. Although anyone could take classes, many pupils were students from Central High School, which, along with Wicker, created an annual student fashion show beginning in 1941. The accompanying publication, called The Book of Gold, helped raise funds for student scholarships. Wicker and her instructors taught drawing, pattern drafting, tailoring, millinery, and other course. The lay person could sign up for a course to revamp their own wardrobe, but her focus was on preparing young people for the garment industry. Students could learn how to operate industrial machinery and other skills related to mass production. In 1948 the school became G. I. approved, which meant that veterans enrolled and changed the makeup of the student body for a time. Amanda worked with the Veteran’s Administration liaisons to spread awareness of the program for Black veterans. Beyond running a school and teaching the trade, Amanda Wicker worked with personal clients and served as the second vice president of Cleveland’s chapter of the National Association of Fashion and Accessory Designers, operated for and by Black designers.

 

dresses from the Clarke School of Dressmaking and Fashion Design

 

Amanda Wicker impacted Cleveland through her civic work of providing important skills to young people and actively engaging her neighborhood. In June of 2021, the Cleveland History Center will open an exhibit about Wicker and her work. The exhibit will share, for the first time, 14 garments made by Amanda, as well as the rich photographic archive of the school, and thus a community. Visitors will come away inspired by the story of a self-made Black woman who lifted those around her.


 

Then & Now | Antonia – An Immigrant Mother

Contributed by John J. Grabowski, Ph.D., Historian/Senior Vice President for Research and Publications, using resources from WRHS’s collections & archives.

Perhaps the most striking statue in Cleveland’s Cultural Gardens, our city’s monument to its diversity, is that of an anonymous immigrant mother holding two children. It can be found in the lower level of the Croatian Garden. It challenges our concept of who should be honored in the history of our multicultural city. Certainly, there are other women, all famous, depicted within the Gardens, but no other monument binds us together as well as this – it is a reminder that migration and immigration are not simply the stories of famous men, nor is the history of women simply that of those whom we choose to see as agents of change. It also means that each of us may well have a story such as the one that follows. It is not one of an activist, but of an ordinary woman, whose brief life was built around and constrained by custom and tradition.

In 1906 Antonia Bohinc and John Vuk, her new husband left their home in what is now Slovenia to come to Cleveland. There they would join Michael, her brother-in-law. She was nineteen, the daughter of a charcoal burner from the town Kropa. John, likely an orphan, was from the nearby settlement of Kamna Gorica. John left little behind while Antonia left behind her parents and two brothers.

Kropa was a smoky town of iron forges; forges that long ago created the spikes that helped build Venice. But it was nestled in a green semi-rural, hilly area of the countryside. Today it is a stunning small village, almost frozen in time. The home she lived in still stands. And while she left for America, the culture and norms of Kropa shaped her life.

Antonia’s life in Cleveland would be far different in terms of environment. The couple settled on Lakecourt, a short street of small frame homes running westward from E. 55th Street just north of the Lake Shore & Michigan railroad tracks. She may have enjoyed the view of the lake to the north, but it was compromised by the continual din of trains and the coal smoke that they and the area factories, such as the one that John worked in, emitted. It was likely a wrenching change of scenery. And there she settled into the life expected of her at that time – cooking, keeping house, and having children. Like many women from abroad, she would eat only after her husband had been served.

She had her first child, Kate, in 1907; two years later a second child, Marie was born; followed in 1911 by Antonia (known as Rose) and in 1913, a fourth daughter, Frances. It was literally one pregnancy after another, each in a new world, and strange surroundings. One of her daughters recalled a bit of family lore that indicated that each of them had been delivered in the house by the tracks.

In slightly less than nine years after arriving in Cleveland she would come down with a common affliction in crowded American industrial cities. She had tuberculosis and on May 24th, 1915 she succumbed to it in the Cleveland City Hospital. She was only 28. Her husband spent an enormous sum of $72.50 on her funeral, the equivalent to over $1,800 today. He could not fully pay the bill. Her grave in Calvary Cemetery lacked a proper stone until one of her daughters, Marie, purchased one many years later. Nor could he care for his young daughters. One was sent to live with a friend, the two youngest spent some time in a Catholic orphanage. Eventually he would remarry.

Each of the four daughters would survive far longer than their mother. All would marry, but only one would have children – ironically, two boys. Each, through the foods they prepared, would carry part of the family heritage with them, but while they knew the language of their parents, they seldom used it. One daughter, rebellious in her own way, would be tempted to become a chorus girl, and then train as a

cosmetologist, only to later be prohibited by her second husband to practice her trade as he, the son of immigrants, insisted in being the breadwinner.

This story of one young immigrant woman, who brought four daughters into the world and then died at the age of 28 is tragic, but not unique. Nor are the lives of her daughters. Similar stories can be found throughout the world, both then and, indeed, now. Yet, in and of itself, the story indicates that in our celebration of Women’s History Month, our focus need not only be on those who have achieved a solid place in the history books or pushed the boundaries of women’s rights, but on every woman. It is, perhaps, the story of “every woman” that most truly resonates with most of our own experiences and given the diversity of our nation, best allows us to see our shared humanity.

 

(Photo: John and Antonia with their first daughter, Kate.)

Then & Now | Geraldine “Gerry” Ferraro

Contributed by Pamela Dorazio Dean, MA, CA, Curator for Italian American History at Western Reserve Historical Society.

Geraldine “Gerry” Ferraro (1935–2011) was the first woman and Italian American to become a vice presidential candidate when she ran on the Democratic ticket with Walter Mondale in 1984.  While the team did not win the election, Ferraro had a long, successful career in politics.  She served as a member of the US House of Representatives from 1979-1985, secretary of the House Democratic Caucus from 1981-1985, US Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights from 1993-1996, and as a member of Hilary Clinton’s campaign team in 2008.

Ferraro was born in Newburgh, New York, to Antonetta Corrieri, a seamstress, and Dominick Ferraro, a restauranteur.  Her father emigrated from Marcianise, Campania, Italy.   Her grandparents on her maternal side emigrated from Molise, Italy.  Ferraro was proud of her Italian heritage.  In the acceptance speech for her nomination as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, Ferraro said, “The daughter of an immigrant from Italy has been chosen to run for vice president in the new land my father came to love.”

After getting her Bachelor of Fine Arts in English, Ferraro served as a public school teacher in Queens.  She said it was not her first choice of career, but one option that was acceptable for women.  Ferraro soon switched gears and studied law at Fordham University, graduating in 1960.  She was only one of two women in her graduating class.  After raising her children, Ferraro took a full-time position in the Queens County District Attorney’s Office in 1974.  This job led to her election to the U.S. House of Representatives where she was a strong advocate for women’s equality in the areas of wages and pensions.

 

(Photo: Geraldine Ferraro. Wally McNamee/Corbis via Getty Images)

Then & Now | Denajua

Denajua designer dress

Cleveland-born designer Denajua (which means of the moon) created this dramatic evening suit to intrigue viewers from every angle. An exhibition about armor at the Louvre inspired the silhouette, with its strong shoulders and structured bustle. The designer, who specializes in evening wear, has been creating unique statement-making clothing for almost forty years. It’s never been her goal to appeal to the mass market: in 1991 she told the Cleveland Plain Dealer, “I don’t follow trends, I don’t read fashion magazines. I make my own decisions about what the season is going to be, and I don’t care about long and short.”

In addition to the sculptural quality, this suit’s materials serve as evidence of Denajua’s affinity for handwork and unusual fabrics. Detailed embellishment in sequins and lace are accompanied by less commonly found materials, namely VHS tape. The primary textile is woven using the recycled tape, resulting in an extremely light, flexible fabric with a glimmering texture. Denajua’s work over the decades has been fun, whimsical, and sometimes surreal. She created a dress in picnic-perfect red and white gingham decorated with ants; breasts become eyes on an evening gown; guitar picks come together as shoulder straps for a dress in the form of a keyboard. Although her work is unusual, Cleveland’s clients haven’t been scared off: “They seem conservative, but once they put on one of my designs, they light up. It’s really wild.” Browsing through coverage of Cleveland’s society benefits during the 1980s and 1990s, one finds an abundance of Denajua’s work, from clothing to the entire gala decoration.

Her work is not the only place that Denajua seeks individuality. She once said, “I just want the single luxury of being allowed to be me.” In this context, Denajua was referring to her journey to become the woman she is today, figuratively and literally. She began sexual reassignment surgery in 1979 after years of counseling at the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals. Ultimately, she also wanted the rights afforded to her such as a legal marriage to a man and an accurate passport—and she succeeded. Today, Denajua splits her time between Paris and Cleveland, living and designing as her own woman.

(Evening Suit, 2017. Denájua b. 1957.)


 

Then & Now | Susan Hall

At Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, there are plenty of opportunities to shine, from parties to the induction ceremonies. The Rock Hall’s Director of Community Relations, Ruthie Brown, gave this suit to her colleague Susan Hall, who first wore it to their annual fundraiser in 2001. With its second owner, this suit has attended events, and even traveled to New York for a Rock Hall induction ceremony (although, due to a broken shoe strap, it didn’t make it to the event).

Clevelander Russell Trusso designed the ensemble during the 1990s, when he was still working as both an anesthesiologist and a couturier. He first found fashion success making one-of-a-kind wedding dresses from antique lace, and progressed to couture suits and gowns. Today, Trusso is a full-time jewelry designer, working with gems and enamel, and developing new techniques like his method for embedding diamonds into the surfaces of pearls. His clothes still fill the closets of Cleveland women, and the WRHS costume collection includes a handful of his garments.

Susan believes that “dressing for the occasion is essential,” and although her life’s work is community engagement and documenting Black history, fashion has always been important. Following college, she worked for IZOD Kids in New York City, and when she first moved to Cleveland Susan managed production and models for catalog and editorial work at Remington. She also worked as the Director of Community Relations and a Curator at the WRHS, where she worked on exhibitions such as 1964 – When Browns Town was Title TownThrough the Lens of Allen E. Cole, and Carl & Louis Stokes: From the Projects to Politics. When not working as a historian, Susan is the President of Hall Creative Productions, where she creates public art exhibits, events, strategic marketing, and historical research focused on African American and pop culture history.

(Evening Suit, 1990s. Russell Trusso. Worn in Cleveland, Ohio by Susan Hall (b. 1962)


 

Then & Now | Sarah Nakagawa Sato

The fabric’s sheen, the jeweled feline design, and flowing feathers epitomize Sarah Sato’s love of whimsy and drama. The designer George Halley was known for these qualities and his glamorous eveningwear during the 1960s and 1970s—which might surprise those who knew him while growing up on a farm in Alliance, Ohio. Just a few years before he produced this dress, Halley and his wife Claudia Morgan (a model and the muse for designer Norman Norell) founded his design house. Almost immediately, they found success, even winning a prestigious Coty Award in 1968. Sarah would have worn her statement-making fashions to openings, benefits, and other philanthropic events. When wearing this dress, she explained that she often removed the detachable collar of this dress because the feathers ended up in her mouth (not a glamourous experience).

Sarah’s dramatic tastes in fashion can also be tied to her interest in powerful art and culture, most notably music. She and her husband Sam moved to Cleveland during the 1940s and supported the Cleveland Orchestra, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Northern Ohio Opera, the Cleveland Music School Settlement, and New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Sarah made an enormous impact while serving on the board at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and she and Sam established the school’s Center for Suzuki Studies. The couple did much of this work together, and their marriage was celebrated—most notably after they completed the oldest spouse-to-spouse organ transplant when Sarah gave Sam a kidney.

(Cocktail Dress by George Halley. 1969. Worn in Cleveland, Ohio by Sarah Nakagawa Sato)


 

WRHS Women Making History | Robyn Marcs

Robyn Marcs
Grants Manager for Western Reserve Historical Society

 

What do you do at WRHS?

I am the Grants Manager for WRHS, including the Cleveland History Center and Hale Farm and Village.

Why is it important?

Finding and securing funding is crucial for WRHS to maintain the Cleveland History Center and Hale Farm and Village.  My goal is to make sure that WRHS is operating for years to come for everyone to enjoy!

Why is history important to you?

I grew up with a history teacher mother and a Civil War buff father, loving history was part of my upbringing!  I love learning about the past, including the lesser known figures in history.  For example, my cat is named after Richard III’s mother, Cecily Neville!  My area of expertise is medieval English history, mostly between the years 1460-1558.

Do you have a favorite figure from history that motivates you?

One of my favorite lesser known figures from history is Nicholaa de la Haye a formidable Englishwoman in the 13th century. Despite being a grandmother at the time, Nicholaa successfully held off raids on Lincoln Castle against King John of England in the 12th and 13th centuries. When France tried to take England for themselves in 1217, the 67-year-old Nicholaa defended Lincoln Castle again the invading armies, and who knows – England may be French today were it not for her valiant efforts!  For her loyalty, King John appointed her as the first female High Sheriff of Lincoln, which is remarkable for a woman, let alone a 60-some year old, at that time!  Her bravery and “unladylike” leadership secured the throne for John’s young son Henry III.  She held her own in the increasingly male-dominated society of early medieval England.
It just goes to show that it doesn’t matter how old you are – you can always make a difference!  I love her tenacity and I picture her as a tough-as-nails older woman who didn’t take sass from anything or anyone.

More Info

Graduated from Miami University in History and English Literature.  My senior thesis was on Harry Truman, who said my favorite quote: “There is nothing better than cake but more cake.”

WRHS Women Making History | Pamela Dorazio Dean

Pamela Dorazio Dean, MA, CA
Curator for Italian American History at Western Reserve Historical Society

 

What do you do at WRHS? 

Curator of Italian American History/Director, Italian American Museum of Cleveland

Why is it important? 

Italians are one of the largest groups to immigrate to Cleveland between 1880-1920.  The positive impact they made and continue to make upon the region is significant.  It is important to preserve the history of their contributions as well as educate others about it.

Why is history important to you? 

I believe history is important because it teaches us cause and effect, basically why things happened and what occurred as a result.  This understanding helps us function better in our present lives.  Another aspect about history that I think is important is that it allows us to broaden our knowledge and experience of the world.  Our lives are short, relatively speaking, and our ability to experience different events, cultures, and peoples is somewhat limited.  But with history, you can gain an understanding of the world centuries before you were born.

Do you have a favorite figure from history that motivates you? 

Too many to name.

More Info 

One group of women that motivates and inspires me are the Ursuline Sisters.  I was lucky enough to be educated by them in high school.  They were incredible role models for women.  They ran the school at all levels, from the classroom to the administrative offices, and did it extremely well.  Their dedication to their faith, to the community, and to the education of youth still inspires me to this day.  Particularly inspiring is their outspokenness on social justice issues.  Even when women’s voices were not being heard, they found a way to be leaders in making positive change.

WRHS Women Making History | Whitney Stalnaker

Whitney Stalnaker

Public Programs Manager at Western Reserve Historical Society

 

What do you do at WRHS? 

As Public Programs Manager for the Cleveland History Center, I am responsible for developing and implementing adult learning experiences based on the WRHS collections. These programs include tours, lectures, panel discussions, classes, workshops, and special events. The bulk of my work over the past year has focused on making these programs accessible virtually so our guests can continue to engage with our museum from the safety of their own homes.

Why is it important? 

Artifacts provide a unique look into the past, and it is our responsibility as museum professionals to present them in ways that best convey their stories to our audiences. Programming is a key part of this effort. Our programs give audiences the opportunity to engage with our experts and go in-depth into our collections, ensuring that the critical lessons of Cleveland history are shared and understood beyond our museum galleries.

Why is history important to you? 

History is most important to me because of the human element. Studying history, it’s easy for us to get so consumed with facts, figures, and theories that we forget the intrinsic humanity of these stories. However, it is this humanity that makes the study of history so crucial. When we learn about a historic event, we’re also learning about the millions of lives that were shaped by it. Understanding this not only helps us realize the gravity of these large-scale decisions but also allows us to better empathize with those who might still be affected by them even decades later.

Do you have a favorite figure from history that motivates you? 

I am most motivated by the women of my family who came before me. I come from central West Virginia, where my ancestors settled many generations ago. Living in rural Appalachia, these women were faced with environmental and economic challenges that demanded they be resourceful, clever, and – most of all – tough. They learned the land, grew and sometimes even hunted the food for their families, and contributed to their small communities as midwives and caretakers. Their stories have greatly shaped how I live my life, and I am inspired to keep their history alive so that future generations may understand the contributions of these remarkable women.

WRHS Women Making History | Patty Edmonson

Patty Edmonson
Museum Advisory Council Curator of Costume & Textiles
for the Western Reserve Historical Society

 

What do you do at WRHS?

I’m the Museum Advisory Council Curator of Costume and Textiles. I care for a large collection, which means everything from vacuuming storage to bringing in new garments. I act both as a collections manager and a curator, so I conduct a lot of archival research, plan and write exhibits, and do the installation too.

Why is it important?

For me, clothing provides a relatable link to the past that helps make it relevant. It can be transformative and transportive. So while it might seem frivolous to some, working with textiles helps preserve artifacts that remind us of who we were, are, and will be. Clothes open to doors to much larger conversations about class, race, sexuality, and humanity.

Why is history important to you?

Understanding history helps us know who we are, and why. Without knowing about the struggles and successes of the people that came before us, we wouldn’t know why our world is the way it is, for better or for worse.

Do you have a favorite figure from history that motivates you?

I’m inspired by the women who’ve lived in Cleveland before me. I’m currently researching Amanda Wicker, who moved to Cleveland in the 1920s and opened a dressmaking and design school that was successful for six decades. She had to face the discrimination of being a woman and being Black, but did it with dignity and used sewing skills to teach people survival skills, workforce readiness, and a sense of community. I wish I could have met her.