Articles of Interest Fantasy of Fashion, Revisited
Jan 23, 2026
Linda Tessner, a museum director and curator who helped steward Maryhill’s uncanny collection, recounts discovering and restoring the tiny Théâtre de la Mode mannequins. Short stories cover the mannequins’ Paris debut, their transatlantic journey to Maryhill, the glamour and personal costs of fashion restoration, and how miniature couture resurfaces in crises.
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Unexpected Museum Director
- Linda Tessner moved to Maryhill Museum at 26 despite never managing a museum before and found herself isolated on a cliff above the Columbia River Gorge.
- She discovered a strange collection of small, macabre mannequins that would later reshape her life.
Miniatures As Postwar Cultural Signal
- Post-liberation Paris used miniature mannequins to signal that couture and its supporting industries still survived the occupation.
- The Théâtre de la Mode repurposed scarce real materials into tiny, high-skill garments to revive French fashion and economy.
Mannequins Built To Fade Away
- The Théâtre de la Mode mannequins were sculpted to disappear visually so attention stayed on the clothes, not the figures.
- Their garments were true miniature couture with real linings, clasps, and tiny functioning belts.