Relive your prom at the Rock Springs Historical Museum

“This was such a fun display for us to put together,” Museum Coordinator Jennifer Messer said in a press release. “It is like a dream shopping trip. We get to look through all the amazing formal dresses that have been donated over the years and see what fits our display theme. It is always amazing to me that people are so generous in donating items that are very personal. We are always so grateful to have so many items to pick from to help people see a bit of our local history up close.”

Several of the dresses on display belonged to sisters Jo Ann Radosevich Tate and Barbara Radosevich Erramouspe. For the 1953 prom, where she was an attendant, Erramouspe favored a long pale, strapless, yellow gown with layers of tulle over satin and small daisies scattered on the skirt. Her graduation gown the same year was an elegant long pink strapless gown crafted of pink satin with layers of pink tulle overtop.

Tate’s 1959 prom dress was a full length, strapless, mint green confection of layers of tulle and white lace over a tulle skirt. Her graduation dress from May of 1960 was a white strapless cotton eyelet lace over tulle knee length dress with an aqua colored pleated cummerbund and matching aqua gloves, that wouldn’t look out of place at any contemporary event.

Two of the dresses on display were donated courtesy of Lyn Chilton Bucho. Her 1962 junior prom dress was a short, sweet, light pink satin strapless bubble dress with pink and silver flowers embroidered on the skirt and bodice.

Also on display is an ultra-modern silver metallic mini dress with long bell sleeves ending with silver metallic crochet trim, which is a stunning example of the changes dresses went through in the 1960s, according to a press release.

The display also features a wide collection of ladies footwear, jewelry, wraps, and handbags appropriate to wear with the dresses on display. The exhibit also includes all the little finishing touches, compacts with powder, nail polish and lipstick, perfume and colognes. A grouping a dance cards surrounds a punch bowl at the front of the display. The cards have lines for gentlemen to claim a dance with a lady partner to dances like “Playhouse Broom Dance” the “Teddy Bear Waltz” and “Junior Jive Baby Doll Polka.”

“All Dressed Up … ” is a fun way to see some of the fancy dresses that graced past proms in Rock Springs. Staff members said they’re delighted to get to show off more of the collection and to a wider range of visitors, having it available day and night.

If you have dresses or accessories you would like to donate for future displays contact museum staff, they would be eager to assist.

Located in the historic City Hall building at 201 B St. in downtown Rock Springs, the Rock Springs Historical Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 307-362-3138 or visit www.rwy.net or www.facebook.com/rsmuseum.