Cap
DateCa. 1806
MediumSheer cotton, embroidered with cotton
DimensionsDepth: approximately 9"; OL with ties: 33 1/2"; each tie: 19 1/4" long by 2 3/8" wide.
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Neena Mitchell.
Object number2003-9
DescriptionWoman's cap made of semi-sheer white plain-woven cotton, embroidered with white cotton in a design of scattered abstract flowers and isolated paisley or "U" shapes. Stitches include satin, buttonhole, and outline. Cap is made of three main pieces with a pair of wide ties. Embroidered front panel frames face and is finished with scalloped buttonhole-stitch edging. Crown piece is shaped to curve over back of head. Narrow scalloped and embroidered "apron" extends down to cover the back neckline. Cord drawstring adjusts fit at nape of neck between the crown and apron.ProvenanceWorn by Mary Adams Wilson (Mrs. James Wilson, 1785-1880). According to family history, this was her cap worn for her wedding or the wedding night in1806. Mary Adams was born December 30, 1785, in Bradford, Massachusetts; she was the daughter of Dr. Samuel and Elizabeth Plumer Adams. The family moved to Western Pennsylvania in the 1780s. Her father was a physician in Pittsburgh and Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Her grandfather was Benjamin Adams, Captain in the Continental army and present at the Boston Tea Party and the surrender at Yorktown. The groom, James Wilson (1775-1857) was the son of Robert Wilson. James was born in Galgoram Park, Antrim, Ireland. He was a merchant with stores in western Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
