Dress


Plain blue and flowered striped silk dress. The flowered band is a warp print. One-piece dress is fitted to waist with full skirt gathered into waistline seam. Floral stripes, 2" wide, run horizontally around dress; full-length sleeves feature pagoda-type upper sleeve with lush lacy lower sleeves gathered at wrist. Tiny lace collar trims plain neckline; center back hook and eye opening; fully lined with cambric; fairly good condition; colors still vibrant, but fabric is disintegrating badly.

This dress was worn at a wedding in Philadelphia in 1857. It belonged to a distant cousin of Mrs. Carlyle R. Mansfield's mother, by the name of Wright. People often married in a dress that they could use for other dress up occasions. Thrifty New Englanders would not waste money on a dress to be worn only once.


Provenance:
Mansfield, Adda E. (Mrs. Edwin S. Rodham) 261 Davenport Avenue, New Haven, CT. Uconn '41

Construction Label:
Unknown



1942C 1857.14