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The Costume Gallery

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The Costume Gallery depicts a golden time in Burlington’s history, when people travelled miles to see their favourite musical entertainer at The Brant Inn. It is said that when the Benny Goodman band performed, the OPP had to be called in to handle the traffic jams on the highways! The Brant Inn was Canada’s Hollywood.

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    Made of black and cream crepe, with black sequins to add sparkle, this outfit could have been worn on a night out at the Brant Inn in the 1940s.

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    This 1960s dress has white crinoline sewn in at the waist to create its classic silhouette.

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    This Burlington Bay Skyway ticket book has 20 tickets and cost $1.00 in 1960.

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    This 1950s dress is made of taffeta, velvet and stiff interfacing, which means it would hold its shape through an evening of dancing at the Brant Inn.

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    In the 1950s, this purse with plastic beads made it all the way from Italy to Burlington.

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    Used in the 1940s this clutch is stylish and practical, with a coin purse inside.

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    Shorter than an evening dress and more elegant than everday wear, this dress from the 1950s was worn for early evening cocktail parties.

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    This turtle brooch is a piece of costume jewelry that was worn in Hamilton and Burlington in the 1950s.

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    In the 1960s flowers were a symbol for the "peace not war" movement.