Jaci Rohr, Jewelry Archivist at
Paramount Studios hosts this “insiders look” at her work with jewelry, costumes
& props in this special event for Members of the Art Deco Society of Los
Angeles.
Paramount
Pictures is the only major film studio located in the heart of Hollywood &
is the only studio to have a dedicated Jewelry Archive spanning over 100 years
of Paramount’s film history.
Paramount’s
cinematic stories cover every historical era from pre-history through the
present & beyond into the unknowable, yet imaginatively designed,
future. The holdings in the Jewelry Archive reflect these time
periods and we are lucky to have some wonderful examples from the Art Deco era.
Even films
that were not set in the contemporary Art Deco period were influenced by the
aesthetic. The ingenious use of materials produced not only fantastical
designs purely for cinematic pleasure, but many pieces were made to mimic fine
or high jewelry, with the use of specially created “stones”.
Paramount
was the only studio to have a fine jeweler on staff. Working closely with
the costume designers, directors & producers, our master jeweler produced a
vast body of stock used over & over for many decades & oversaw the tens
of thousands of gems & jewels in the costume rental department.
Take a
peek at the hidden gems in the Paramount Pictures Jewelry Archive &
re-discover some Art Deco treasures.
This is a
complimentary event only for members of the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles.
If you aren’t a
member, but would like to join, you can become a member here!
About the
Speaker:
Jaci Rohr
is an Archivist and Key Costumer. Her life-long interest in costuming began
at age 5 when she discovered the joys of dressing up her dog. She has a
Bachelor of Arts - Art Degree from San Jose State University. She continued to
study design and costume construction specialties, including jewelry-making,
millinery, corset-making, period sewing techniques and other “lost arts”.
While
working in the entertainment industry for over 25 years in the costume
department on various film and television projects, she invented rigs for
“costume gags” used on reality TV shows and developed dog products for “The Dog
Whisperer” Cesar Millan. At the same time, she was running her private
manufacturing business producing costumes and props for a nationwide chain of
photography studios. A Jaci-of-all-trades, Rohr invented exclusive tools for
use in the manufacturing process.
She
happily transitioned to the Paramount Pictures Archives in 2009 to work with
costumes, props and jewelry. Her current job involves cataloging and caring for
contemporary and vintage jewels, costumes and props and preparing museum
exhibitions. Her esoteric skills and passion for research are integral to
identifying, assessing and restoring the costume jewelry used in over 100 years
of Paramount’s films.
She is still dressing her dog…Maezi doesn’t
mind.