Shift

Date1790-1800

MediumWhite linen tabby

DimensionsOL: 23 1/2" OW: 66 1/2"

Credit LineGift of Mrs. Cora Ginsburg

Object number1990-6

DescriptionWoman's white linen short shift with skirt ending at hip level. Long tight sleeves ending in 1" ruffles. Low rounded neckline. Open completely down the front, with casing for drawstring at waist. Cut to flare over hips with small gores. Cut hip length.
Label TextShift or Nightgown
New York, worn by Ann Van Rensselaer, 1790-1800
Linen
G1990-6, gift of Mrs. Cora Ginsburg
Unlike knee-length shifts women wore beneath their gowns, this shortened style with front opening was used during the lying-in period following childbirth. The hip-length shifts would be easier than longer ones to keep clean during the mother's recuperation from childbirth. They were also more convenient for sitting up in bed to receive company. Stitch marks indicate that the shift originally had a drawstring under the bust. This shift has a tradition of ownership by Ann Van Cortlandt Van Rensselaer of Albany, New York. Although Van Rensselaer did not have any living children, one can speculate that she had prepared a set of clothing in anticipation of childbirth after her 1787 marriage to Philip Van Rensselaer. Perhaps she became pregnant, but the child miscarried. That she never had the opportunity to use the clothes may account for their survival.

ProvenanceWorn by Ann Van Rensselaer (1766-1855) of Croton/Albany, New York.