Doctor T Designs

Long time readers of my blog may recall that I visited the National Museum of Roller Skating back in 2012 – the last time nationals was held in Lincoln, Nebraska.  I managed to get a quick visit in this trip too, and it was really fun to see the changes and new exhibits.

Even the sign outside is new!

In an effort to help my blog load more smoothly, I’m going to try to remember to add jump breaks on my picture-heavy posts… See more of the museum after the break!

In addition to not bringing a computer with me on this trip, I also didn’t think to bring my good camera.  So these are phone pictures – not quite as sharp as my other photographs, but I did have some fun playing with the panorama setting!

Display cases with wacky skates on the left, skate art in the center, and the history of plates to the right.  You can also see an organ in the center!

Skating Vanities display to the left, and history of competition costumes on the right.

A look at skating disciplines – speed on the left, artistic in the center, and hockey on the right.

Tara Lipinski’s national championship dress…

… and her skates!

A look at skating costumes through the years – from the less adorned (bottom), to the completely stoned (top right).

A dance costume from the 1960/1970s era.

A freestyle costume from that same time period. There is a simple elegance that is lacking in much of today’s costuming.

The costumes were a bit more wild in the 1980s.

I really want to know what they used to get the swirly bits to stand up so well…

And I must say the simple rows of sequins are quite effective.

And everything is stitched on by hand!

I think I showed off this Skating Vanities’ costume in my previous post… But I love it so much!  You just don’t see this type of hand beading in today’s costumes.

The design is created with hand-stitched bugle beads and sequins.

Delicate and lovely!

The “necklace” is just large plastic jewels…

You can see where the stitching has come undone on the shoulder design.

There was also a new display of Vaudeville Skating.

Another lovely show skating costume.

Here there are more sequins and fewer beads used to create the design.

A closer look at the designs…

The skates of Gloria Nord (star of the Skating Vanities)!

Crazy Vaudeville skates!

Gloria Nord’s travel trunk!

A photo taken at a rink opening in the 1930s – I love seeing all the period clothing!

How amazing would it be to skate at a rink with giant chandeliers?

I love the rink sticker display – definitely one of my favorite parts of the museum.

Also fun to see all the old skate cases covered in them!