ABOUT OUR PRESENTERS
Angela Burnley
Angela holds a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from the University of Cincinnati. Prior to founding Burnley & Trowbridge in 1994 she owned a multi-discipline design firm in Oyster Bay, NY and taught as an adjunct in her discipline at the New York Institute of Technology. Her strong interest in historic textiles for interiors and her love of sewing naturally led her down the path of historic textile discovery within the fashion world. What began as a hobby soon became a passion, and eventually led to the founding of Burnley and Trowbridge. She has spear headed the many offerings of B & T from the well-researched products to the hands-on and now online workshops, all while pursuing her personal research in 18th century textiles. She has lectured here and abroad & completed a fellowship at Winterthur Museum in 2021 that she plans to turn into a massive project for herself and others that will probably outlive her! She continues to travel, research and develop new workshops and hopes to carve out time for writing in the future.
Brooke Welborn
Brooke is the Workshop Manager and an instructor for Burnley and Trowbridge Co. She holds a B.A. in Theatre from The College of William & Mary, where she focused on Costume Design & construction and a minor in History. After university she apprenticed as a Milliner & Mantua-maker in the Historic Trades Department of Colonial Williamsburg, receiving her journey-woman paper in 2007. Brooke’s continuing focus is the cut, fit & construction of 18th Century women’s gowns & jackets, especially that of the Polonaise which she has written & published on.
Melissa Mead
Melissa has been textile oriented, sewing and designing, for as long as she can remember. She holds a BA in Apparel Design from Kansas State University and worked for the Colonial Williamsburg Costume Design Center for 18 years before taking early retirement to join us at Burnley and Trowbridge. She has recreated everything from Pocahontas’ wedding ensemble to the embroidery of Thomas Jefferson’s waistcoat. In addition, she has served as the costumer in a variety of theatrical and video productions. Melissa has always been fascinated by lace and has learned many types of lace making, but tatting is her go-to technique. She is an award winning tatter whose work has been featured in Piecework magazine and at the Lacis Lace Museum. Melissa is also a member of the Colonial Lacemakers of Williamsburg. Finally, to the grief of her long suffering husband, she has spent way too much money at Burnley and Trowbridge, and spends too much time sewing for herself and her dolls.
Since a young age, Neal has had a lifelong interest in history and material culture. After graduating high school, Neal joined the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, working within the Department of Historic Trades and completing a seven-year apprenticeship earning his journeyman’s papers as a tailor. He received his B.A. in History from the College of William and Mary in 2013, earning High Honors for his senior thesis: “a kind of armour, being peculiar to America:” The American Hunting Shirt. In 2015, Neal received his M.A. degree from the University of Delaware’s, Winterthur Program in American Material Culture. He worked as the Associate Curator for the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia for their 2017 inaugural permanent exhibition. Neal currently holds the position of Curator of Costume and Textiles at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
Samantha Bullat
Samantha has been involved in the living history and historical clothing community for 15 years. In 2012, she served a ten week internship with the Margaret Hunter millinery shop learning the arts and mysteries of mantua-making and millinery. From 2014-2021 she worked as a tailor for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and was responsible for researching, designing, and constructing garments from the early 17th and late 18th centuries. Her reproduction historical clothing has been featured in exhibits and programs at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, Mount Vernon, the New York Historical Society, and the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.
Cynthia Settje
Cindy has been fascinated by historical fashion and costume construction since her early teens. She received a BFA in Costume Technology from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She is the founder and owner of Redthreaded, a historical corsetry and theatrical costume business based in Colorado. Her business has provided corsets and costumes for interpreters, historical sites, Broadway shows, tv, and film. Her primary ongoing interest is historical corsetry for its aesthetic, engineering, and fit challenges.