A wonderful wedding dress has just been received by the Museum. Jane Greely, Georgiana Grimball and Haskell Carr donated a blue silk wedding dress worn by their grandmother, Maria Bachman Haskell when she married Grange Simons Coffin on April 27, 1881. While the dress is in fairly good condition and the blue is still quite vibrant, I’m a little uncertain regarding the placement of the apron and the front bodice plastron. The plaid silk apron indeed goes with this dress, since there is the same fabric as facing under the ruffles. But the blousy front looks more like an 1890s dress.The bustle in 1881 was higher and harder than earlier, often a small cushion pad tied at the waist to stick out like a little shelf. The skirt would be flat in front, as is this one, with the hemline even all around, clear of the floor. The relatively new aniline dyes on the market caused a flurry of colorful gowns, including for weddings. In the exhibit, we’ll see blue, purple and green, a sharp contrast to the expected white and ivory.
I will continue to research this curious garment and hope to update you soon.JH
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