Dress, 1840-1855

According to the donor, this dress belonged to Geraldine McMaster Cole, who died near Cato, New York in 1860. It has a simple one piece back and a simple work sleeve. The sleeve is shirred at the seam but is straight rather than curved, indicating an 1840-1855 date. The bodice was probably originally pointed at the center front, and is now straight cut. At its current position, the waistline is quite short-waisted - might this have been used as a maternity dress, or in the late 1830s? The full s…