A Skirt Made From a Dyed Blanket

Home > In Refugee Camps > Making folk costumes in refugee camps > A Skirt Made From a Dyed Blanket A Skirt Made From a Dyed Blanket Bārta folk costume. Made by Vera Puķe-Puķīte (1915–2014) in 1946, in Denmark. The folk costume was made in a refugee camp in Denmark. Vera Puķe-Puķīte, the maker of the costume, recalls: “You know what the Latvians did? They dyed woollen bedspreads black! And they sewed skirts from them, and on the bottom edge they put a red ribbon on which they had embroidered those folk designs. They really wanted the children to be dressed in the folk manner, too. None of us adults had any folk costumes back then. We had just what we had brought from Latvia… Who could have brought a folk costume along?! It wasn’t something people thought about. They just thought about what was necessary and could be put in a few bags, and that was it.” Donated by Vera Puķe-Puķīte; from the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2015.225). Children’s folk dance ensemble “Jautrais Pāris” dancing at the Northern Camp in Wurzburg around 1947. Photo by Teodors Kauls (sen.). Donated by Margarita Stīpniece. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre.

A Girl’s Folk Vest Made From a Nazi Flag

Home > In Refugee Camps > Making folk costumes in refugee camps > A Girl’s Folk Vest Made From a Nazi Flag A Girl’s Folk Vest Made From a Nazi Flag The national costume of Bārta. Made by Milda Sāns (1915–1968) in 1947, in Germany. Milda Sāns made this costume for her three-year-old daughter Laura when the fleeing family had arrived in Fellbach, Germany, in 1947. The skirt was made from black black-out curtains. The red vest and bottom edging of the skirt were made from the fabric of a Nazi flag. The shirt was made from a bed sheet. Laura wore this folk costume at the Esslingen Song Festival in 1947 and other Latvian events. Later, in Sweden, the folk costume was lent to Paula Blumkviste, who wore it to the 1979 Song Days in Gotland, which were organised by the World Federation of Free Latvians. Donated by Laura Sāns; from the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2023.51.1-3). Laura Sāns in Fellbach, Germany, 1947. Donated by Laura Sāns. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre.

A Shirt Embroidered by Mum

Home > In Refugee Camps > Making folk costumes in refugee camps > A Shirt Embroidered by Mum A Shirt Embroidered by Mum Shirt and woven ribbon. Made by Emma Zemītis (1900–1965) in the late 1940s, in Germany. Emma Zemītis made this folk costume shirt for her son Juris around 1947, when they lived in the “Saule” refugee camp in Geesthacht, Germany. It was made from British army dish towels. The woven ribbon was made by Juris’ schoolmate Vija Vilde – it was the very first ribbon she ever wove. Juris wore the shirt while dancing folk dances in Germany, and later, in Australia. Donated by Juris Zemītis; from the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2015.108-109). Dancers wearing Latvian folk shirts at the “Saule” DP camp in Geesthacht, Germany, in the late 1940s. Donated by Juris Zemītis. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre.

Never Worn, Yet It’s Travelled the World

Home > In Refugee Camps > Making folk costumes in refugee camps > Never Worn, Yet It’s Travelled the World Never Worn, Yet It’s Travelled the World Rucava folk costume. Made by Emma Kušķe (née Ozoliņa, 1912-?) in the late 1940s in Germany. The folk costume was made in a refugee camp either in Itzehoe or Eutin, Germany. The Rucava skirt was made from a dyed army blanket. It was made by Emma Kušķe for her daughter Ausma to wear while singing in the choir at the Latvian song festival in Lübeck. In 1948 the folk costume was taken along to New Zealand, then to Hong Kong and Australia. Ausma never wore the folk costume. Donated by Ausma Taylor; from the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2015.227). Vitauts, Elza and Daumants Hazners at Midsummer’s Eve celebration in Augstdorf, Germany, 1955. Donated by Daumants Hazners. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre.

From Rucava to Meerbeck and “Priedaine”

Home > In Refugee Camps > Making folk costumes in refugee camps > From Rucava to Meerbeck and “Priedaine” From Rucava to Meerbeck and “Priedaine” Rucava folk costume. Made by Emma Slaktere (1911–2003) in 1946 in Germany. The folk costume’s skirt, shirt and vest were made in a refugee camp in Meerbeck, Germany. The clothes were made by Emma Slaktere, who also worked as a wig stylist for the Latvian theatre troupe in Meerbeck. Later, Emma would take the folk costume with her when she emigrated to the USA. There Emma was an active member of the New York Latvian community – for a time she was treasurer for the antiques repository of the New Jersey Latvian centre “Priedaine”, as well as a weaver and wig stylist. This Rucava folk costume was exhibited as a complete set at “Priedaine”, its components having been made by several handicrafters – for example, the socks were knitted and donated by Verena Freija. The coloured silk ribbons for the headdress come from Rucava Parish, where they were bought by Verena Freija’s mother, Marta Puķe. Donated by Lilita Bergs (American Latvian Association); from the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2019.1552). Song Festival in Esslingen, Germany, 1947. Donated by Adolfs Avens. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre. From Rucava to Meerbeck and “Priedaine” Playing Previous Song Play Pause Next Song /

A Shirt Made From Parachute Fabric

Home > In Refugee Camps > Making folk costumes in refugee camps > A Shirt Made From Parachute Fabric A Shirt Made From Parachute Fabric Rucava folk costume. Made in Germany in the late 1940s. The Rucava folk costume belonged to Olga Kaluma. It was given to Zigrīda France when she arrived in Brisbane, Australia, in the early 1950s. Olga told Zigrīda that the folk costume was made in a refugee camp in Germany, from a blanket provided by UNRRA and which was dyed to match the colour of the Rucava skirt. The shirt was made from parachute fabric. Zigrīda wore this folk costume at Brisbane Latvian community events until the 1980s, when she acquired a new folk costume from Latvia. Donated by Zigrīda France; from the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Resarch Centre (LP2019.1552) Secondary school students posing before a concert by the school’s choir in Neustadt, Germany; 1950. From left: Ina Jansone, Pegija Skrastiņa and Ruta Sidraba. Donated by Pegija Klausa. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre.

A Folk Costume That Met Eleanor Roosevelt

Home > In Refugee Camps > Making folk costumes in refugee camps > A Folk Costume That Met Eleanor Roosevelt A Folk Costume That Met Eleanor Roosevelt Nīca folk costume. Made by Anna Krūmkalns (1911–2000) in the late 1940s, in Poland and Germany. The folk costume was made by Anna Krūmkalns for her daughter Dzintra when they lived in several refugee camps in Poland and Germany. Anna was a seamstress, and her daughter Dzintra also did some of the embroidery. The brooches were made smaller and plainer than the authentic standard because of a shortage of silver. Dzintra wore the Nīca folk costume at Latvian song festivals and various Latvian social events – including one in 1951, when Latvian scouts and girl guides met with the UN representative and human rights advocate Eleanor Roosevelt, the former First Lady of the United States. Donated by Daina Paupe Henry, from the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2018.2256). Musical ensemble in a refugee camp in Meerbeck, Germany, 1948. Donated by Biruta Schultz. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre.

A Skirt Made From Curtains Bartered in Exchange for Food

Home > In Refugee Camps > Making folk costumes in refugee camps > A Skirt Made From Curtains Bartered in Exchange for Food A Skirt Made From Curtains Bartered in Exchange for Food Nīca folk costume. Made by Paulīne Bauke (née Silkalns, 1893–1991) in the late 1940s, in Germany. Paulīne Bauke used window curtains to make the Nīca skirt while in a refugee camp. Paulīne bartered foodstuffs in exchange for the curtains from another Latvian woman who had used the curtains she had brought from Latvia as a wall tapestry in her room in the camp. Being a talented handicrafter, Paulīne found yarn and thread with which to make the skirt and shirt as ethnographically correct as she could. When the folk costume was finished, Paulīne’s daughter Ināra wore it to various events held at the Latvian school in the refugee camp. Later, when Ināra and her mother emigrated to New Zealand, the folk costume was worn at various Latvian events. When Ināra moved to Chicago ten years later, she wore the folk costume for many years as a member of the “Dzelme” folk dance group and the “Dzimtene” Latvian mixed choir in Milwaukee. The folk costume has been worn to many Latvian song festivals in America (Boston, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Portland, Milwaukee), Canada (Toronto) and Latvia, when Ināra took part in the Song and Dance Festival Parade and Grand Finale Concert in Riga in 1998. Donated by Ināra Bauke-Krūmiņa, from the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2018.2255). Ināra Bauke in her Nīca folk costume ca. 1951 in Christchurch, New Zealand. Donated by Ināra S. Bauke-Krūmiņa. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre.

A Nīca Skirt Made From a Dyed Blanket

Home > In Refugee Camps > Making folk costumes in refugee camps > A Nīca Skirt Made From a Dyed Blanket A Nīca Skirt Made From a Dyed Blanket Nīca folk costume. Made by Rita Zemītis (née Treija, 1917–1995) in Germany in the late 1940s. Rita Zemītis made the folk costume in the refugee camp in Esslingen, Germany, where refugees could participate in various workshops. At that time it was not possible to make a folk costume from the traditional fabric, so Rita made the Nīca skirt from a bedspread given to her in the camp, which was then dyed to match the traditional colour as closely as possible. Being an avid singer, dancer and speaker, Rita wore her costume to many Latvian social events in exile, as well as to a Song and Dance Festival in Latvia. Donated by Dace Ķezbers (Latvian Folk Art Museum, Chicago), from the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2019.2570). At the Memmingen refugee camp, Germany, 1949. Donated by Vija Vilde Mežnora. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre. A Nīca Skirt Made From a Dyed Blanket Playing Previous Song Play Pause Next Song /

A Conductor’s Folk Costume

Home > In Refugee Camps > Making folk costumes in refugee camps > A Conductor’s Folk Costume A Conductor’s Folk Costume Northern Vidzeme folk costume. Likely made in a refugee camp in Germany. The folk costume belonged to the singer and conductor Jānis Austrums (1912–2011). Before fleeing Latvia at the end of World War II, Jānis lived with his family in Lielvārde, where he worked as a school principal. His lifelong passion was music, especially singing and conducting. In the Esslingen refugee camp, Jānis was invited to join the “Tēvija” men’s double quartet, which had been founded in Latvia. The singers wore both folk costumes and suits when performing. When the Austrums family emigrated to America in 1949, Jānis continued to sing and conduct the “Līga” Latvian choir in Boston. The “Tēvija” men’s double quartet also continued its activities in America. Jānis Austrums’ folk costume was worn at many “Tēvija” concerts as well as at song festivals in both Europe and North America. Donated by the Voldiņš family, from the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre (LP2016.111). The “Tēvija” men’s double quartet in the 1940s, in the Esslingen refugee camp; Germany. Jānis Austrums is in the second row, on the right. Donated by Zinta Kūlīte. From the collection of the Latvians Abroad Museum and Research Centre.