Enchanted Serenity of Period Films: dolley madison

Fans of period costume, check out this video! We get a glimpse behind the scenes with costume designer Candice Donnelly showing some of the gorgeous historical gowns created for Dolley Madison, America's 'first' First Lady, which previously aired on PBS' American Experience in 2010.

MTA - Just finished watching the broadcast of Dolley Madison which I had someone record for me on VHS last year! I found it thoroughly engaging and loved learning about this impressive woman I knew nothing of, and more of that time in American history since it was never part of my Canadian curriculum.

Features Eve Best in the role of Dolley Madison.
She also portrayed Wallis Simpson in The King's Speech.

Exhibit of Dolley's costumes
June 15, 2011 - March 31, 2012
James Madison's Montpelier, Virginia

Called America's "first" First Lady, Dolley Madison was the wife to 4th President James Madison. PBS - American Experience has a documentary feature on this lady who helped shape the Washington in its early years.

"Dolley Madison lived through the two wars that established the U.S., was friends with the first 12 Presidents, and watched America evolve from a struggling young republic to the first modern democracy in the world. She was nicknamed “Queen Dolley,” and when she died in 1849 at the age of 81 — one of the last remaining members of the founding generation — Washington City honored her with the largest state funeral the capital had ever seen for a woman."...read more

This 90-minute Documentary features Tony Award nominee Eve Best as Dolley and Tony Winner Jefferson Mays as James Madison. It will air as part of the American Experience series on March 1, 2010.

There's also a neat photo gallery of other First Ladies...

Video: Behind the scenes with Costume Designer