AN EXHIBITION of wedding dresses dating from the 1820s to the 1960s has opened in the art gallery at Ryedale Folk Museum.

Spanning over a century, the wedding dresses on display represent the changing designs and fashions in bridal wear.

The wedding dresses are from the permanent collection at Ryedale Folk Museum and also the Harrison Collection. The museum has a large collection of women’s clothes very little of which is on display and so visitors can expect a rare treat from this exhibition.

Included in the display is a wedding dress which belonged to Annie Newton, a housemaid from Glaisdale. The green linen dress was made and embroidered by Miss Newton for her wedding to Richard Grayson of Wintringham on February 19, 1919. It was donated to the museum some years ago having been saved from use on the family’s dog’s bed by a relative.

The most recent dress on display is from 1962 and is a copy of the dress worn by the Duchess of Kent when she married the Duke of Kent at York Minster in 1961.

Jennifer Smith, the museum’s director, said: “No other outfit, through the ages, has quite so much emotion put into it. Wedding dresses are part of almost every culture and we are fortune enough to have a wonderful array of dresses that were important to people in our area.

"This exhibition has been created by museum volunteers and has already received a very warm response from our visitors.”

The wedding dress exhibition is open every day from 10am to 5pm until Sunday, September 4. Admission to the art gallery is free of charge.