The Edwardian Society : Steering Committee Members

The Edwardian Society Steering Committee

Left to right: Kay Demlow, Elizabeth Smolens, Rikki Nyman, Lisa Sample, and Pamela Miller

Who we are

Kay Demlow

Kay Demlow spent her early years in Ohio, where she learned a deep appreciation for history – and also how to sew. She learned the basics from her grandmother, including how to take out faulty stitches! She still carries the memories of the farmhouse kitchen, the noontime family dinners, and the wonderful old books, dress-up clothes and toys she found at her grandmother’s house.

For over 25 years she has made her home in Oregon, where she operates a home-based dressmaking business, Lavender’s Green Historic Clothing. She lives in a 1909 foursquare house in the old downtown part of Hillsboro, where she gardens, reads, and enjoys an old-fashioned life. She is President of the Hillsboro Historical Society, a member of the Board of Friends of Historic Champoeg, and an enthusiastic volunteer for community events and living history activities throughout the Willamette Valley. She is fascinated by the beauty of the Edwardian Era – or the Gilded Age, as Mark Twain called it. There is something powerful about the Arts and Crafts Movement, the dawn of the 20th century, and the ideals of the Progressive Era that continues to tantalize her and challenge her imagination.

See Kay’s creations at Lavender's Green.

Rikki Nyman

Rikki Nyman has been a time traveler for most of her life, initially traveling to 1915 every weekend as a child in the 1960s. The destination was her grandfather’s house … a three-story gabled boarding house in Astoria, Oregon built in 1890. The early residents were mostly Swedish-speaking Finns. The scent of the ocean, wood smoke, fresh coffee, fish and creosote from the nearby docks, and geraniums from the sun porch filled the air. Inside, a big Monarch wood stove and Craftsman furniture filled the kitchen. A horse hair sofa and player piano were in the adjacent parlor; family photos crowded the walls and Craftsman library table.

So many mysteries from the past to discover! To this child, the dusty drawers and closets provided a cornucopia of wonder! Grandma’s sewing machine was particularly enticing; until Rikki’s discovery its contents had remained untouched since her grandmother’s death in 1927. On more than one occasion, she begged to try on the high-button boots at a local antique store. Though no parental units were useful on that front, they were at least indifferent to the many rummaging explorations of her grandmother’s clothing which made the most exquisite dress-up clothes!

With this foundation, how could she not love the Edwardian and Progressive eras? How could she not pursue a degree in American history?

Rikki still loves early 20th-century American cultural history. Though she adores the clothing, she has also cultivated an abiding interest in the homes of the American middle class from 1900 to 1963. From the bungalows of the 1910s to the midcentury modern homes of the early 1960s, she has amassed a huge collection of primary sources. Antique Home Style has more than a thousand different house plans!

Pamela Miller

Funny, artistic and highly creative, Pamela Miller is a local artist, Director of the Ladies Tea Guild, a highly sought (in-home or down on the farm) pet sitter and has performed as a Costumed Interpreter in several venues on the West Coast.

“I have loved and designed costumes most of my life. My sewing skills, however, are limited to the hand sewn variety. The majority of my lovely outfits have been created through barter, negotiation, financial reward and outright blackmail if necessary.”

Miss Miller creates Upcycled Glass Art. Her unique pieces have become the focal point of gardens, buffet tables and window displays throughout the Northwest. Custom work using your own unused family heirlooms is negotiable.

Pamela’s hand crocheted Pendleton Selvedge wool rugs may be purchased at the Willamette Heritage Center in Salem and her beautiful reclaimed Ladies Hats are currently available for sale at the Silverton Senior Center.

Elizabeth Smolens

Born and raised in Wellesley Massachusetts, Beth currently lives in the Historic Willamette District of West Linn, Oregon. Over the past decade, she has volunteered for the City of West Linn by helping to produce the annual Willamette Living History Tour and currently manages an extensive Edwardian costume closet for the Tour. Responding to the enthusiasm for historic re-enactment activities in our area, she founded the West Linn Historical Society in 2014 and is currently President of the organization.

Find out more at the website for the West Linn Historical Society and the Willamette Living History Tour.

Lisa Marie Sample

(more information to come.)

If you have questions, please email us for information!