RESPLENDENT wedding gowns dating back more than 200 years are some of the beautiful costumes on display as part of a vintage fashion exhibition.

After years hidden away in storage boxes, the intricate dresses have been brought out specially for the public to see at a one-off exhibition at the McLean Museum and Art Gallery.

Costume designer Alicia McNeill, who is from California, has put on the unique exhibition as part of her post-graduate university placement at the museum.

The 30-year-old told the Tele: “When I discovered that the museum has more than 300 costumes and accessories in storage, I couldn’t believe it.

“It was amazing to take them out their boxes and put them on the mannequins as the dresses are just lovely.

“There are wedding dresses dating back to the early to late 1800s, as well as a morning dress dating back to 1910 and party dresses dating back to the 1800s and early 1900s.” As part of her project, Alicia has catalogued all the costumes, many of which are family airlooms that have been donated to the museum for prosperity, as well as old theatre outfits which are too small to be worn today.

Alicia added: “Because the dresses are so small, they don’t fit a normal-sized mannequin so I had to use a hacksaw to alter them so they could fit.” One of the stand-out pieces is a wedding dress worn by Isobel Ross Agnew when she married Charles Stewart Sandeman on 14 April 1906.

Alicia added: “I love this dress because she obviously couldn’t decide what she wanted on it, so she decided to have it all including bows, ruffles, lace and beading.” Another eye-catching garment is a silk wedding dress worn by Sarah Dunning, who married Robert Holland Gallacher in 1881 at St Mary’s Church, in Patrick Street, Greenock.

As well as dresses, there is also a three-piece coachman’s outfit with top hat and boots.

Museum curator Val Boa says it is a collection that tells a story of a different time and culture.

She said: “We are delighted that Alicia is able to use her expertise at the museum as none of us here are specialists in costumes and garments. This is a one-off exhibition as the costumes are very fragile and sensitive to light exposure.

“It’s great as it’s a look back in time.” Alicia, who is studying for a postgraduate degree in ‘museum studies with an emphasis in dress and textiles’ at Glasgow University, has extended the exhibition until Saturday 2 May.