MPT offers behind-the-scenes look at nation's oldest costumer

Maryland Public Television (MPT) premieres a special season-ending episode of its popular weekly series Chesapeake Collectibles – titled A.T. Jones: Masters of Masquerade – on Monday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m. The half-hour program on MPT-HD offers viewers an exclusive broadcast look at the nation’s oldest and one of its last remaining costume houses, Baltimore-based A.T. Jones & Sons.

The Chesapeake Collectibles special, the finale of the series’ eighth season, explores the 150-year history of the renowned costumer. It provides a look inside the historic shop and some of the beautiful costumes A.T. Jones & Sons has created over many decades. The program also takes viewers through the costume-making process, as original designs transform from sketchpad to works of wearable art.

Alfred Thomas (A.T.) Jones, a transplant from North Carolina, opened his costume shop on Howard Street in Baltimore City in 1868, only three years after the end of the Civil War. The venerable business has had only four owners – A.T. Jones; his son, Walter Jones, Sr.; grandson Walter Jones, Jr.; and the current owner George Goebel, who started as an A.T. Jones & Sons employee in 1950. Goebel is interviewed during the program by Chesapeake Collectibles host Rhea Feikin.

A.T. Jones & Sons originally rented formalwear to area residents. Over time, the Jones family transformed the business into the institution it is today. A.T. Jones & Sons continues to provide costumes for live theater and opera productions in the mid-Atlantic region and beyond. In particular, it is a go-to source for costumes used by opera companies across the country. The Arizona Opera, New Orleans Opera, and Baltimore’s Peabody Opera are among the companies that regularly turn to this Baltimore costumer to bring productions to life.

The company also caters to special events, including the prestigious Gridiron Club Dinner in Washington, D.C. A.T. Jones: Masters of Masquerade includes rare footage from the 1985 Gridiron Club Dinner, which was filmed by public TV in honor of the event’s 100th anniversary. Photography, videos, and social media posts are not otherwise allowed during this off-the-record event. The invitation-only fundraiser, which takes place annually in March, brings together Washington’s political and media elite for satirical musical skits by its members, and remarks by the U.S. president and representatives of each political party. A.T. Jones & Sons has supplied all costumes used at the event since 1888.

A.T. Jones & Sons is also known for costuming other influential figures – such as Baltimore Mayor Donald Schaefer who famously wore an old-fashioned bathing suit created by the firm to take a dip in the outdoor pool at the National Aquarium in Baltimore prior to its 1981 grand opening. Schaefer was met with applause as he entered the water dressed for a swim with the aquarium’s seals. News footage of the stunt was broadcast around the world.

One of Maryland Public Television’s most successful flagship series, Chesapeake Collectibles showcases antiques and special collections brought to MPT’s appraisal team by collectors from across the region.

A.T. Jones: Masters of Masquerade airs Monday, April 2 at 7:30 p.m. on MPT-HD and will be rebroadcast on Saturday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m. on MPT2. For more information, visit chesapeakecollectibles.com.