(Above) The Earl and Countess of Grantham themselves – Hugh Bonneville, who plays Crawley family patriarch Robert Crawley, and Elizabeth McGovern, who portrays Robert’s American wife, Cora Crawley. Photo by Carnival Films / Masterpiece. (Click on image to view larger version.)

June 26, 2015 – The characters will not need them any further so costumes from the British television series Downton Abbey will travel to Chicago next year and be on display for three months in River North.

More than 35 period costumes from the series, set between 1912 and 1925, will be on display at The Richard H. Driehaus Museum on East Erie Street from February 9 through May 8.

The costumes are made in London by Cosprop Ltd., recreated from old photographs and paintings. Many use fabric from the early 20th century.

Downton Abbey is the name of the country estate in the series, owned by the fictional Crawley family. After six seasons, the final episode will air in the United States on March 6.

“It’s fascinating to see the evolution of fashion over the course of…Downton Abbey,” says Driehaus guest curator Ruta Saliklis. She says visitors to her exhibit will “learn about the historical and cultural influences evident in these visually stunning costumes.”

The costumes should be at home with the lavish interiors of the Driehaus Museum. Chicago banker Samuel Nickerson built the mansion in 1883 at a cost of $450,000 or what today would be more than $10 million.

Prices have not been announced yet but tickets will be available for purchase starting on October 7.

After Chicago, the costumes will be on display in other cities in North America through 2018.

• What: Dressing Downton: Changing Fashion for Changing Times
• When: February 9 through May 8, 2016
• Where: The Richard H. Driehaus Museum, 40 East Erie Street Map
• Website: Driehaus Museum