Dressing Gown
Period1860
Place MadeNew Jersey, U.S.A.
MediumCotton
ClassificationsCostume, Women's
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Campbell Rudner, 1980
Object number1980.14.86
DescriptionA woman's loose-fitting dressing gown of twill weave cotton in a bold print of orange "O"s on a black ground. The dressing gown is constructed with a round neck and a front closure with six black cotton-covered buttons to the waist. The gown's dropped shoulder seams are piped, with long shaped sleeves ending in false cuffs edged with solid black banding. The gown's skirt edge is bound with narrow black cotton fabric. A pair of patch pockets are set askew at the left and right hips, with false pointed flaps edged with black banding and a single large black button. The gown is unlined and contains no maker's mark or tag.Curatorial RemarksLoose-fitting dressing gowns were worn within the house, and allowed their owners some comfort and ease without the restrictions of hoops, corsets, or tight-fitting bodices and skirt waistbands. The sturdy, dark fabric was practical as it did not show dirt. The dressing gown was carefully kept, and shows only minimal wear around the neckline. The construction of this gown seems to indicate that it was professionally made, perhaps by a local dressmaker or even purchased as a ready-made garment in a retail establishment.NotesThis lovely, bold-figured dressing gown was part of a larger group of historic clothing and textiles descending from the Throckmorton family of the Red Bank, Monmouth County area. The gown was owned and worn by Anna Maria Throckmorton. Anna Maria was born in 1832 to Edmund and Susanna Throckmorton. In 1863 she married Doctor Robert Conover (1824 - 1884). The couple settled in Red Bank and raised a daughter, Anna Throckmorton Conover (1871 - 1957). The dressing gown was passed down through the family from mother to daughter until it was donated to the Historical Association by Anna Louise Campbell Rudner, great-granddaughter of Anna Throckmorton Conover.
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