Description:
Woman's one piece, silk dress in various combinations of brown, green and white in bands, stripes, and lisere stripes, which is typical of mid 19th century woman's dresses. The dress comes from the Wilder family home in Charlemont. Massachussets, and is stylistically the same date as the marriage of Elizabeth H. Merriam (1836-1892), the daughter of Loring Merriam (1804-1894) and Laura Warner (1809-1885) of Charlemont, to Joseph H. Wilder (1833-1889) on May 11, 1858. The wide "pagoda" sleeves, the popular brown and green variation on a plaid as well as the expensive glass with gold buttons indicate use for a special occasion. Wedding dresses in this period were often made in the latest style in both form and fabric. Becuase of the initial investment in expensive silk, clothing was often remodeled. On this dress, the original wide pagoda sleeves were pleated to create the newly fashionable "military sleeve" in the mid 1860s. Fringe edges the sleeve cuffs and the bottom of the bodice all around. The dress has a rounded, self-piped neckline, and the bodice has a center-front opening with ten glass with gold dust, metallic buttons, which are not sewn in; rather, they are removable with a metal ring securing each shank. There are two long darts on either side of the bodice front (each about 8"), extending from waist up to bosom. The bottom front of bodice has been altered to spread back (a reflection of early 1860s dresses). There is a diaganol side back seam and a curved back side seam on each side (this latter pair is topstitched), but no CB seam. The front and back of bodice are on the straight grain. There are dropped shoulder seams and armscyes, the latter being self-piped. 2-2 1/2" down from each armscye are puffs (flattened now) or manchettes. Each sleeve has a single underarm sleeve seam. Originally, each sleeve was in the pagoda shape, but like the bodice front, the sleeves have been altered. The sleeves now are box-pleated under the cuff trim to provide shaping to the sleeves. The skirt is attached to bodice at waistline, triple box pleated in several groupings. The CF 8" of skirt is unattached, with an 8" long placket on proper left side of opening, a pocket opening on the proper right side. The skirt is made up of seven panels of fabric, each 18 3/4" wide (not incl. selvages). The skirt has been lengthened with the addition of brown silk box pleated trim at the hem. Besides increasing the length, this trim reflects the early 1860s fashion. Both the bodice and skirt each lined in a brown cotton with a dart at the CB lining. Two darts in lining, corresponding to those seen outside of bodice. Lining darts are each boned. For shaping and to create more length at the back, the excess fabric is folded over at the waistline of the skirt.
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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2000.60.2 |
