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American, Maine Probably

Dress, ca. 1795

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

American

Title

Dress

Year

ca. 1795

Medium

Plain weave silk

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • silk

Techniques

  • plain weave

Dimensions

Center back length: 185.4 cm (73 inches)

Place

Maine; Probably

Type

  • Fashion,
  • Costume

Credit

Helen M. Danforth Acquisition Fund

Object Number

1998.21

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Recent Acquisitions

February 18 - April 16, 2000

This dress was probably worn by Sarah Murdock Smeers of Maine, according to a note found with its companion dress, which the Museum decided not to purchase. Its silk fabric, called "lutestring" or "lustrings" for its deep luster, may date to earlier in the 18th century. Documented American dresses of this date are rare indeed, and this one is a fine addition to RISD's collection of 18th-century apparel, which is small and needs to be expanded. This dress will play a familiar dual role in the Museum's collection, since it may be used both for classes in historic apparel and for display.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Dress with the accession number of 1998.21. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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