Images(2)

Dress

Date1835-1840

MediumCotton

DimensionsOL from shoulder to hem 51 7/8 in.; Waist 25 ¼ in.; Bust 31 ¾ in.

Credit LineGift of The Valentine Museum, Richmond, VA

Object number2023-177

DescriptionWhite cotton women’s dress with a wide neckline and full sleeves gathered at the shoulder. The dress fastens down the center back and center front of the bodice with hooks and eyes. The bodice is lined with white cotton. There is embroidered whitework trim on the shoulders, down the center front of the bodice, and two bands of trim on the cuffs. The cuffs fasten with a pair of hooks and eyes. There is piping on the bodice seams. The hem is faced with white cotton.
Label TextThe slide of the sleeve's fullness down the arm, pleating at the bodice, and widening neckline sets this dress at the latter portion of the 1830s. The light color and fabric suggest that it may have been worn in warmer months.
ProvenancePrior to 1964, Mr. and Mrs. E.W. Brockwell (Edward and Alice Brockwell) (Colonial Heights, VA); 1964 given to the Valentine Museum (Richmond, VA); 2023-present given to Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)