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Culture:American
Title:pocket
Type:Personal Equipment
Materials:textile: linen, wool
Place Made:United States
Accession Number:  HD F.050
Credit Line:Gift of Alice Abercrombie Merriam
Museum Collection:  Historic Deerfield

Description:
Linen pocket embroidered in wool decorated with seven crewelwork floral bouquets on rough linen. Before the late 19th century, pockets were not built into women's clothing in any regular way. Often initialed, a woman’s pocket or workbag was an extension of her self-worth, pride, and fine skill with a needle even though it was usually out of sight. Pockets were worn over the shift (the basic linen undergarment) and under the petticoat, tied around the waist and accessible through specially positioned slits in the petticoat. Pockets could contain such items as small personal items, sewing work-in-progress, scissors, pin-cushion, and small publications.

Subjects:
Textile fabrics; Linen; Wool

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+F.050

Research on objects in the collections, including provenance, is ongoing and may be incomplete. If you have additional information or would like to learn more about a particular object, please email fc-museums-web@fivecolleges.edu.

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