Wedding Dress
Period1839
Place MadeNew York, U.S.A.
MediumSilk, cotton, ivory
Dimensions50 in. (127 cm)
ClassificationsCostume, Women's
Credit LineGift of Miss Marion E. Smith, 1965
Object numberT1976.92
DescriptionA woman's gown, identified as a wedding dress, constructed as one piece, with heavy flattened brass hooks and eyes for the rear closure. The gown includes a wide boat neck with dropped shoulders and tight armscyes. The gown's sleeves fit closely to the upper arms, widening to the forearms and ending in closely-fitting wrists fastening with a single hook and eye closure. The sleeves are ornamented with complex vertical panels of self fabric, sewn and then twisted to create a three-dimensional vertical pleating effect. The bodice is constructed with tiny diagonally placed tucks which narrow towards the waistband. These pleats resemble those of the sleeves, sewn to create a dimensional effect. The skirt is box pleated along the front, with the two rear skirt panels attached to the bodice waist with narrow gauged or cartridge pleating. An additional band of narrow piped strips are applied to resemble an intertwined vine or banding along the bodice and upper sleeves. The bodice and skirt are lined with lightweight dark brown glazed cotton, cut as flat lining during construction. The gown includes a matching separate capelet, often known as a bertha or fichu, of the same fabric. The capelet includes similar narrow pleating details and is also lined with dark brown glazed cotton. All seams are hand-sewn, mostly using small backstitching.Curatorial RemarksThis gown is a spectacular example of the fashions of the very late 1830s and early 1840s. Worn as a wedding dress in September of 1839 by New York resident Mary Ann Mason at her marriage to Lawrence V. Husted, the date of the wedding helps firmly identify the time of the gown's construction. At first glance, the gown appears deceptively simple. The good heavy silk is in one of the many "drab" colors popular at the time. In addition to the dull pale grayish green of Mary's wedding dress, dull olive, gray, medium dull ochre yellow, and varying shades of brown were all popular. Mary's gown relies on the excellence of its construction as well as the astonishing and complex trimming, all done with the same fabric. The bodice has two panels set into the upper yoke. Tiny pleats are sewn into place, with the top edges sewn and pressed towards the proper left, while the bottom edges of the pleats are sewn all facing proper right, resulting in a sculptural twist in every pleat. Narrow piping is sewn below the wide neckline, forming a pleasing spiral twist. The sleeves also include the same left/right vertical pleating. The complexity of the gown's construction, including full flat lining in a rich dark brown glazed cotton and the exceptionally narrow piped seams points to a trained and highly skilled professional dressmaker. Many gowns of this time period were made with separate fichus. Sometimes known as berthas, these small shawl-like accessories gave the wearer the option to change up the look of the gown. The fichus could be held in place with pins or a decorative brooch or breast pin.NotesDonor Marion E. Smith (1879 - of Ocean Grove provided background information about this silk gown, noting that it was the wedding gown of Mary Mason, who married L. V. Husted in September of 1839. Information also included the fact that donor Marion Smith was the great granddaughter of Mary M. Husted. Donor information sometimes contains partial truths, as in this case. Marion E. Smith (1879-?) was actually the granddaughter of the gown's original owner and wearer. Marion's maternal grandmother, Mary Ann Mason (1820-1856) married Lawrence V. Husted (1804-1859) in September of 1839 in Orangetown, Rockland County, New York. The couple had five children. Their daughter, Mary Ann, was born in 1841 and married Henry H. R. Smith (1832-1898). The couple had five children, including Marion. Marion lived on Asbury Avenue in Ocean Grove for many years with her sister Valette. Marion E. Smith died in 1970 at the age of 92.
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