Description:
Cocktail dress worn by Helen Geier Flynt (1895-1986) during the early 1950s. Helen, along with her husband Henry N. Flynt (1893-1970), founded the Heritage Foundation, later Historic Deerfield, in 1952. The dress, which is unlined, is made from a brocaded satin-weave silk. The brocaded design is bound in a twill weave and the design is small, repeating rosebuds in pink and green. The satin ground weave is cream colored. The garment's construction is sleeveless, and also features a gathered and draped V-neck, and an A-line skirt. A label inside reveals “PARIS/ Francine Pary/ 265 Rue St. Honoré”. The establishment of Francine Pary made both custom and ready-made garments. It was the business of the grandmother of Francine Christophe, a holocaust survivor. Despite Helen's frequent trips to Paris for both pleasure and business, this is the only Parisian-labeled garment known to have been owned by her. Flynt tended to favor better American ready-to-wear and custom creations from New York City designers and manufacturers. Flynt's taste for brocaded floral design in the artifacts she collected for the museum can also be seen in her clothing choices such as this example.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2019.29.1 |
