Description:
Woman's one-piece day or work dress, made from a printed cotton featuring a reddish-brown ground and a small, all-over circle/spot designs in red, white and yellow. Dark calico prints such as this were popular in the early 1860s, and could cost between .10 and .35 cents per yard at the time. This garment is an important survival of a day or work dress made from a dark calico printed cotton worn in the early 1860s. Despite it's practicality, it was likely made to be worn with a hoop skirt. Six selvage-wide panels of the cotton make up the skirt, which has a hem circumference of 147.5"Center-front placket opening, that originally fastened with brass hook (proper right) and eye closures. The eyes have all been removed. The bodice has a small (1") standing collar, and features an elevated waistline that was known in the period as an Empire or Josephine waist. The dress features bishop sleeves (full but gathered tightly into the armscyes and the cuffs. The sleeve heads are gathered into the self-piped armscyes at top and back. The 1" deep cuffs each fasten with a single, white glass button. The skirt is cartridge pleated all around into the self-piped waistline. Brown wool braid on the hem has deteriorated in many places. Inside, the hem is faced with two differently-printed cottons, about 4.75" deep. Bodice lined in an off-white, plain weave cotton; the skirt is unlined.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+F.713 |
