Description:
Woman's one-piece, long sleeved, back-fastening dress, possibly a wedding dress worn by Mary S. Reeve, on her marriage to Job Haines in Pennsylvania in 1849. Possibly made in Philadelphia from imported fabric. The dress is an excellent example of women's fashion from the second half of the 1840s, with a vertically gathered front bodice, long fitted sleeves with over sleeves (manchettes), and a tightly cartridge-pleated skirt. The bodice contains keratin boning enclosed within a white cotton lining. This dress most likely would've been accessorized with a white chemisette and white lace insertions at the sleeves. As a wedding gown, it would have been a woman's best dress. Until well into the 20th century, women did not as a rule wear white as a color for wedding dresses. After the wedding, a gown became her best dress for formal or important occasions.

Tags:
weddings; clothing

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2021.19

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.