Ghost
Summer dress by Neville of London, 1911-12 London Click to go to the absentee bidding page.  This Kerry Taylor auction will end October 16th at 10:30 AM GMT (5:30 AM EST).  You will need to register to bid ahead of time.

Summer dress by Neville of London, 1911-12 London

Click to go to the absentee bidding page.  This Kerry Taylor auction will end October 16th at 10:30 AM GMT (5:30 AM EST).  You will need to register to bid ahead of time.

Ad for the London Underground by F C Witney, 1913 England via vintage-ads on LJ. (Having so much fun looking through these posts.)

Ad for the London Underground by F C Witney, 1913 England

via vintage-ads on LJ. (Having so much fun looking through these posts.)

Hat from JW Robinson Co, ca 1917 US (Los Angeles), FIDM Museum & Galleries Day dress from Harvey Nichols, ca 1916 London, FIDM Museum & Galleries JW Robinson Co (usually called “Robinson’s) was a department store chain headquartered in Los Angeles, with locations across Southern California, Arizona and the Gulf Coast of Florida.  It was founded in 1881 and closed in 1991. Harvey Nichols is a department store chain with locations in London, Leeds, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Dublin, Riyadh, Kuwait and Hong Kong.  The company was founded by Benjamin Harvey in 1831 as a linen store.  When he died the shop was passed on to his daughter, who entered into a partnership with Colonel Nichols, who sold luxury items such as oriental rugs and silk.  The current London flagship was opened in 1880 and added on to in 1932.  I don’t think they sell dresses like this today, but they totally should.

Hat from JW Robinson Co, ca 1917 US (Los Angeles), FIDM Museum & Galleries

Day dress from Harvey Nichols, ca 1916 London, FIDM Museum & Galleries


JW Robinson Co (usually called “Robinson’s) was a department store chain headquartered in Los Angeles, with locations across Southern California, Arizona and the Gulf Coast of Florida.  It was founded in 1881 and closed in 1991.

Harvey Nichols is a department store chain with locations in London, Leeds, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Dublin, Riyadh, Kuwait and Hong Kong.  The company was founded by Benjamin Harvey in 1831 as a linen store.  When he died the shop was passed on to his daughter, who entered into a partnership with Colonel Nichols, who sold luxury items such as oriental rugs and silk.  The current London flagship was opened in 1880 and added on to in 1932.  I don’t think they sell dresses like this today, but they totally should.

(Source: blog.fidmmuseum.org)

Wedding dress worn by Mary Peterson Wells, 1910-11 (worn in) the Philippines (Manila), FIDM Museum & Galleries Wedding dresses usually follow the lines of contemporary fashionable dress. This wedding gown, with its high waist and slim silhouette, highlights the popularity of silhouettes inspired by ancient Greek and Roman dress. As described in a post featuring a c. 1912 tunic dress, this style emerged about 1908 and was a dramatic departure from the S-bend silhouette. Mary wore this wedding dress with a headpiece of wax orange blossoms and buds. Sweet-smelling orange blossoms have long been worn by brides, but their popularity was cemented in 1840, when Queen Victoria wore a crown of orange blossoms for her wedding. For those without access to fresh orange blossoms, wax blossoms were a popular alternative. In this photograph, Mary is pictured wearing her wedding gown, the orange blossom headpiece, an extended veil and long gloves. Though we know that this gown was worn for a wedding in the Philippines, we don’t know where it was made. If made in the Philippines, its up-to-date style is testament to the rapid spread of fashion information to regions far from Paris, the center of high fashion. Alternately, the bride might have commissioned the gown in the United States before setting sail for Manila. Answering this question will take more time, as we haven’t completed our research on Mary Peterson Wells. We know that she was born in 1887, but not the location of her birth. Based on what we’ve discovered so far, she was probably related to James Jackson Peterson. Born in West Virginia in 1853, Peterson was appointed United States consul for Honduras in 1890. By the early 20th century, Peterson had moved to Manila where he received an appointment as official translator and sheriff for the City of Manila. The relationship between James Jackson Peterson and Mary Peterson Wells is still unclear. The lace panels decorating the gown might have been a family heirloom, given to Mary for use on her wedding dress.

Wedding dress worn by Mary Peterson Wells, 1910-11 (worn in) the Philippines (Manila), FIDM Museum & Galleries

Wedding dresses usually follow the lines of contemporary fashionable dress. This wedding gown, with its high waist and slim silhouette, highlights the popularity of silhouettes inspired by ancient Greek and Roman dress. As described in a post featuring a c. 1912 tunic dress, this style emerged about 1908 and was a dramatic departure from the S-bend silhouette. Mary wore this wedding dress with a headpiece of wax orange blossoms and buds. Sweet-smelling orange blossoms have long been worn by brides, but their popularity was cemented in 1840, when Queen Victoria wore a crown of orange blossoms for her wedding. For those without access to fresh orange blossoms, wax blossoms were a popular alternative. In this photograph, Mary is pictured wearing her wedding gown, the orange blossom headpiece, an extended veil and long gloves.

Though we know that this gown was worn for a wedding in the Philippines, we don’t know where it was made. If made in the Philippines, its up-to-date style is testament to the rapid spread of fashion information to regions far from Paris, the center of high fashion. Alternately, the bride might have commissioned the gown in the United States before setting sail for Manila. Answering this question will take more time, as we haven’t completed our research on Mary Peterson Wells. We know that she was born in 1887, but not the location of her birth. Based on what we’ve discovered so far, she was probably related to James Jackson Peterson. Born in West Virginia in 1853, Peterson was appointed United States consul for Honduras in 1890. By the early 20th century, Peterson had moved to Manila where he received an appointment as official translator and sheriff for the City of Manila. The relationship between James Jackson Peterson and Mary Peterson Wells is still unclear.

The lace panels decorating the gown might have been a family heirloom, given to Mary for use on her wedding dress.

(Source: blog.fidmmuseum.org)

Feb 28, 1914 Puck cover with an illustration by Nelson Greene, 1914 US Some people in 1914 seemed to have been under the impression that the most fashionable women would dye or would soon be dying their hair outrageous colors to match the outrageous colors of their evening gowns.  I’m not sure where this idea came from, but I’ve seen it referenced in a number of cartoons from that year. Also, I’d love to have a framed print of this.

Feb 28, 1914 Puck cover with an illustration by Nelson Greene, 1914 US

Some people in 1914 seemed to have been under the impression that the most fashionable women would dye or would soon be dying their hair outrageous colors to match the outrageous colors of their evening gowns.  I’m not sure where this idea came from, but I’ve seen it referenced in a number of cartoons from that year.

Also, I’d love to have a framed print of this.

Photo of Gaby Deslys, 1912

Photo of Gaby Deslys, 1912

“Dorothea”, ca 1920

“Dorothea”, ca 1920

Paris fashions, 1912 Paris (of course)

Paris fashions, 1912 Paris (of course)

Paquin race gown, 1914 France

Paquin race gown, 1914 France

Women’s fashions: quilted silk on chiffon - gold thread, ca 1914

Women’s fashions: quilted silk on chiffon - gold thread, ca 1914

charlestonmuseum:

Just like the ladies of Downton Abbey, Charleston women chose dresses that were stylish and smart. The ones shown here depict that fashionable era.

White cotton marquisette (mesh) dress, c. 1910-15, with fabulous embroidery, lace insertion and covered buttons made and labeled by dressmaker “Mrs. DeWitt / 5 West 31st Street, New York.” It was worn by Mrs. Washington Augustus Roebling who was Cornelia Witsell Farrow (1866-1942) of Walterboro and Charleston. She married the Brooklyn Bridge engineer after his first wife died in 1903. Her first husband, Ashby Starke Farrow died in 1896.

In 1928, Cornelia returned to Charleston and bought 64 South Battery. Though she probably wore this dress before moving back here, it would have been perfect for a warm spring evening overlooking New York or Charleston harbor.

The blue dress, c.1910s, has a blue chiffon overlay, covering an amazing underdress of pink velvet with corded cutwork, beading and lace insertion. The chiffon shimmered over the dress and this technique appears to have been very popular. It added mystery and delicacy to the garment. Though we do not know who wore this beautiful dress, it came to the Museum in 1940 from Mrs. D. R. Kirk of New York City.

TEXTILE TUESDAYS: Each Tuesday we post a piece from our textile collection.  Some items have been on exhibit, some will eventually be shown in our new Historic Textiles Gallery and some may be just too fragile to display. We hope you enjoy our selection each week – do let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see on TEXTILE TUESDAY! #TextileTuesday

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