Images(2)

Dress

Dateca. 1837-1843

OriginAmerica, Virginia, Accomack County (worn in)

MediumCotton, linen

DimensionsOL from shoulder to hem 50 3/8 in.; Bust 35 in.; Waist 29 ½ in.

Credit LineGift of The Valentine Museum, Richmond, VA

Object number2023-199

DescriptionPrinted cotton dress. Block printed with a floral pattern in brown, purple and green and a seaweed pattern in brown on a spotted ground. Dress fastens up the center back of the bodice. Hooks and eyes have been removed. Skirt is gathered at the waist. The dress is faced at the hem with linen. The bodice is lined with white cotton.Label TextPrinted fabrics saw a resurgence in the 1820s and 1830s thanks to new advances in technology. Bold patterns were in style, and clothing and household textiles often sported flowers, plants, animals, and more abstract details. This dress, made in the late 1830s, is block printed with purple flowers, green leaves, and brown seaweed; all on top of a spotted ground.Provenanceca. 1837-1843 probably worn by Nancy Vernelson (ca. 1810-) (Accomack County, VA); prior to 1958, passed down by descent to Katie May Gill (1894-1963) (Richmond, VA); 1958 given to the Valentine Museum (Richmond, VA); 2023-present given to Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)