Images(2)

Pocket

Date1760-1800

OriginEngland

MediumCotton, block printed

DimensionsL. 18 1/4"; Width at top 6"; width at bottom 12 1/8".

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1953-368

DescriptionA long flat pouch shaped bag with slit in front, to be worn beneath a woman's skirt. The pocket is block printed against a dark ground (almost black) in a design of flower sprays of roses, carnations, etc. Colors include brownish-black ground, green, red, blue, and cream white. Backed by coarse white cotton. Remnants of old linen tapes indicate the method by which the pocket was tied about the lady's waist beneath her overskirt.

Construction History:

1. 1760-1800: Initial Construction
2. March 15, 1954: Cleaning, repairing, restoring by Ernest LoNano for Margaret Hunter ShopLabel TextIn the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, women’s gowns did not have integral pockets stitched in. Instead, to carry their necessities women wore pouches around their waists beneath their skirts.