S&DR200 - Dressed for Departure: Fashion in the Age of Rail

About

To commemorate the bicentenary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, the world’s first public railway to use steam locomotives, The Bowes Museum unveils a new display, exploring the transformational impact of rail on the everyday. Dressed for Departure: Fashion in the Age of Rail, opens on 27 September 2025 and is part of the regional S&DR200 celebrations marking the first railway journey in 1825 on the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

Dressed for Departure brings together historic fashion, artworks and objects that reflect on how engineering advances reshaped lives and culture, especially in the North East. Set within the Fashion & Textiles gallery at the museum, the display journeys from the early 19th century, when the railway arrived, to the end of the 20th century, a time when rail travel had become an everyday reality. Visitors can explore how the beginning of the railway transformed not just transportation, but also personal style, artistic expression and social habits.

Edward Pease (1767-1858), often referred to as the father of the railway, played a pivotal role in founding the Stockton and Darlington Railway. In Dressed for Departure, visitors will be able to see items worn and used by members of his family. These include a train and track from the 1840s, which almost certainly belonged to his grand-daughters, and together form one of the first ever toy train sets. The display also features a court suit (c.1860) belonging to his son Henry Pease (1807-1881), who served as a director of the Stockton and Darlington Railway and was instrumental in bringing the line to Barnard Castle and beyond.

Marking a significant moment in local railway history, a guard’s coat donated by Mr Thomas Atkinson, who was the guard on the first train from Barnard Castle to Redcar on 8 July 1856, is on show. Another regional highlight on display is a commemorative medallion from 1893 which marks the start of construction of the Wear Valley Extension Railway whilst also recognising the role of Sir Joseph Whitwell Pease (1828–1903), who opened The Bowes Museum to the public in 1892.

The display highlights how the railway shaped art and culture, showcasing scenic train journeys through the picturesque landscapes of Teesdale and the rise of popular seaside holidays promoted by railway companies. Throughout the display, visitors see posters advertising the railway, a copy of the painting of Opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (1871) with Locomotion no. 1 crossing Skerne Bridge painted by John Dobbin (1815-1888), and a map of County Durham from 1843 showing railway routes. The display also explores how railway travel influenced leisure and fashion, particularly the development of bathing costumes and swimwear designed for seaside holidays.