Short Gown

Date1800-1820

OriginAmerica, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

MediumRoller-printed cotton, linen tabby lining.

DimensionsOW: 50"; OH: 19 1/4"; Selvage width of textile: 33 3/4"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1996-95

DescriptionWoman's high-waisted short gown of cream cotton, printed with all-over pattern of 3/8-inch red, pink, brown and blue floral sprigs with yellow paired dots set at angles. Low scoop neckline with casing for drawstring, opening at center front with paired eyelets; paired eyelets are worked at center back neckline, as well. Gown opens completely down front. It is fastened at the neckline and at the raised waistline with narrow linen tapes in sewn casings. Long, undecorated sleeves cut in one with the body of gown. Garment skirts flare out beneath the waist casings. Lined throughout with cream tabby linen. Sewn with plied thread.
Label TextEven everyday clothing reflected fashion's changes. This short gown has the high waist of late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century styles. Purchased in the New York vicinity, the printed garment came with a handwritten tag that reads, "Aunt Logan' Short Gown, given to Emily by Cousin Sarah M. Walker." The short gown almost certainly belonged to Deborah Norris Logan (1761-1839), wife of Dr. George Logan of Stenton, Philadelphia.
MarkingsNone.
ProvenanceThis garment has an American history. Although it was purchased in New York from a regional dealer at a Textile Fair, a note attached to the garment has allowed curators to trace its origin to Philadelphia. Written on 20th-century paper, the note reads "Aunt Logan'/ Short Gown,/ given to Emily by Cousin/ Sarah M. Walker." This almost certainly refers to Deborah Norris Logan (1761-1839), wife of Dr. George Logan of Stenton, Philadelphia.