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  • Coat Dress, about 1950

    This is an interesting dress in that it appears to be a transitional late 1940s style. It includes features of prewar fashion such as the shoulder pads, but also has some of the fullness in the skirt characteristic of circa 1947 New Look styling. It was owned by Elizabeth Palmer Ward DeVine of Ann Arbor, MI. Elizabeth Palmer Ward DeVine was born in to one of Michigan's oldest mining families.Her great great grandfather, Charles Henry Palmer, was a pioneer investor and developer of mines and rail…

  • Dress Ensemble, 1950-1953

    Another simple yet stunning evening dress and cape by the brilliant and dramatic Spanish-born designer, Cristobal Balenciaga.Born in Decatur, Illinois in 1897 Elizabeth Parke married Harvey S. Firestone Jr., son of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company founder Harvey S. Firestone, in 1921.Once described by a friend as, "the most luxurious woman in the history of luxury," Elizabeth Parke Firestone's clothing collection illustrates her impeccable taste in fashion.

  • Evening Dress and Coat, about 1961

    Born in Decatur, Illinois in 1897 Elizabeth Parke married Harvey S. Firestone Jr., son of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company founder Harvey S. Firestone, in 1921.Once described by a friend as, "the most luxurious woman in the history of luxury," Elizabeth Parke Firestone's clothing collection illustrates her impeccable taste in fashion.