Images(2)

Dress

Date1810-1816

MediumCotton

DimensionsOL from shoulder to hem 52 ½ in.; Bust 28 3/8 in.; Waist 25 ¾ in.

Credit LineGift of The Valentine Museum, Richmond, VA

Object number2023-151

DescriptionWhite cotton dress with raised waistline. Dress has short, gathered cap sleeve set over a long sleeve. Both cap and long sleeves have gauze ruffles at the cuff. Two rows of ruffles and braided trim at the long sleeve’s cuff. Thread covered buttons set at the shoulders and at the edge of the cap sleeve. Dress is flat at the front and gathered at the back of the waistline. Dress fastens in the center back with a button at the neckline and a set of ties at the waistline. The ties run through the interior waistband and can also tie in the center front. Loops of gauze fabric have been sewn in a ruffle at the hem. Dress has a slight train.Label TextWhat this dress lacks in color, it makes up for in trim. This dress, likely constructed between 1810 and 1816, includes puffed cap sleeves, each trimmed with a narrow ruffle and thread wrapped buttons. At the hem, gauze has been delicately looped and stitched into scallops. Both features preview types of trim that were favored in the 1820s.Inscription(s)There is a fabric tag sewn in the waistband lining, "74.375"; this is the previous number assigned by the Valentine Museum.ProvenancePrior to 1974, Dorothy Midgett (Richmond, VA); 1974 given to the Valentine Museum (Richmond, VA); 2023-present given to Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)