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Girl's Embroidered Cotton Dress, 1840-1850
White cotton dress with wide, collar-less neck and slightly belled sleeves. Bodice and skirt gathered; tight gauging along center-front and center-back waist. Empty whalebone casing at center-front. Self-fabric piping at neck, waist and sleeves. White embroidery at hem; hem and cuffs finished with irregular scalloping and crochet trim. Two tucks on skirt. Bodice lined with plain-weave cotton; sleeves and skirt unlined. Bodice open at center-back; hammered-wire hook and eye closures. Hand-sewn. T…
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Girl's Dress, 1840-1850
This is a party or special occasion dress, the light washable fabric probably meant for summer wear. The workmanship is exquisite, the gauging tight and beautiful, the hem stitching fine and nearly invisible. With its drop sleeves, gauging, and wide neckline, the line of the dress is very similar to those worn by older women in the early 1840s. The dress is a gift of a New York State family.
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Child's Tunic, 1840-1850
This might be a boy's tunic, to be worn with trousers, although one wonders if the color and fabric were sufficiently masculine (it might also be a girl's tunic, but appears to be too short). This piece might have been used by the Bowen family of Pennsylvania.
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Round Gown, 1840-1845
The detachable sleeves on this dress make for a multi-purpose bodice. The back pleating is unusual and is more common in work and plain dresses, but adds ease. The back opening and narrow sleeves are suggestive of the 1840s. This was probably the better dress of a woman who usually wore cotton.
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Dress and Pelerine, 1840-1845
Simplicity, rich material, and subdued color indicate that this redingote and pelerine might be of Quaker origin. The narrow sleeves, long waist and darts are typical of the 1840s, while the pelerine is reminiscent of the 1830s.
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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…
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Short Sleeve Wool Child's Embroidered Dress, 1840-1850
Blue dress of fine wool twill. Square, gathered neckline. Gathered cap sleeves. Gathered and pleated bodice lined with cotton. Applied waistband. Box-pleated skirt. Hand-embroidered flowered vine motif around sleeves, waist, hem. Sleeve edging embroidered in the pieceand cut from cloth. Center-back closures of hammered wire hooks and threaded eyes. Hand-sewn. Appears to have been altered to fit fuller torso: bodice lining shows stitching removed to let out pleats, skirt changed from gathering to…
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Printed Cotton Calico Girl's Dress, about 1845
White cotton calico dress, roller-printed with tan stripes, small red dots, and small red stylized flower petal motif in narrow vertical stripe pattern. Long drop sleeves. Pointed front bodice; vertical gauging emanating from point to bustline; whalebone stiffening at center front; darts on either side; side seams; round neck. Skirt gathered at waistline with small bustle. Tucks on sleeve and hem. Piping throughout. Cotton lining. Hook and eye closures. Fine hand stitching. According to the sour…
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Dress, 1840-1849
A beautifully constructed, sewn, and finished dress, representing a homemade version of high style. The en tablier trim on the skirt is typical of 1850-55. The bodice and narrow sleeve are 1840s, the collar reminiscent of the 1830's, the skirt trim, ruffles and embroideryof the 1840's.
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Dressing Gown, 1840-1855
This is a plain dress with a more expensive than usual lining fabric. A paper found with the dress indicates that it might be from Northeast Vermont.