These photos from our Archives are (with a few exceptions) of unidentified women, sometimes with very general dates as we had little provenance. If you can provide any assistance in identification, we would be happy to add that information to our cataloguing!

1. Possibly Barbara Muller Lindstedt, daughter of John D. Muller and Margueretha Agnes Wieters, circa 1925; photography by Melchers Studio.
2. Unidentified woman wearing a dark dress, or possibly matching coat and dress, with fur trim at the collar and sleeves.  Handwritten in lower, right corner: Sincerely, H.B.P.L.  Photographer and exact date unknown.
3. Possibly Barbara Muller Lindstedt, daughter of John D. Muller and Margueretha Agnes Wieters, circa 1920; photography by Marions Studio.
4. Unidentified woman standing in shade near a brick wall, wearing a cloche hat.  Photographer and location unknown. (Appears to be same woman as in MK 13505 - same hat).
5. Unidentified woman, wearing a coat and cloche hat.  She appears to be standing in front of the bridge at Magnolia Gardens.  Handwritten on the reverse: 1920.  Photographer is unknown.  (Appears to be same woman as MK 9987).
6. Unidentified woman sitting in a vintage automobile at Magnolia Gardens.  Photographer and exact date unknown.
7. Unidentified woman on Charlotte Street - possibly in the vicinity of 40 Charlotte.  Handwritten on reverse: by 2nd Presbyterian Ch., house on Charlotte in background, c.1920s. Photographer unknown but note his shadow in the photograph.

The most iconic silhouette for the 1920s is the slender, tubular shift, sometimes with some definition well below the natural waist. For evening wear and parties, these gowns were often of silk or rayon, crepe, chiffon or georgette covered with dazzling beadwork. Perfect for lively dancing, the garments are now usually in self-destruct mode – the heavy beads pulling on the thin fabric and perspiration eating away the underarms.   

But, beautiful they remain, including this Nile green example with bronze and rose beadwork and delicate gold metallic embroidery. The skirt flares slightly and the front and back bodice extends into side flaps on the left side. There is a slit in the skirt panel on the left, revealing the matching chiffon underdress. Both the beading and the extra panels add a stylish note of asymmetry to the dress. It was worn by Helen Eulalie Northrop Wall of Marion, South Carolina. Born in Boise, Idaho in 1891, Eulalie married John Furman Wall in 1912. He was a colonel in the U.S. Army – their daughter Bettie was born in California and their second daughter Helen was born in the Philippines – but they settled in Marion.

Not as embellished, but just as swingy, is this aqua silk shift with a black ribbon lattice panel down the center back, around the lower skirt and in triangular pleats on the sides. The armholes have matching aqua chiffon binding. The front neckline has a delicate line of black beading. A pair of black ribbons ending in fringed tassels extends from the shoulder seam to the front and are slipped through front slits, creating a built-in necklace or sautoir. This dress could have been worn with a matching slip – or perhaps peach or cream for an even more tantalizing appeal.

TEXTILE TUESDAYS: Each Tuesday we post a piece from our textile collection.  Some items have been on exhibit, some will eventually be shown in our Historic Textiles Gallery and some may be just too fragile to display. We hope you enjoy our selection each week – do let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see on TEXTILE TUESDAY! #TextileTuesday

Black and white dotted silk chiffon dress with matching jacket, 1920s. This incredibly sheer dress has no lining and delicate lingerie edges. The sleeveless dress has a V neckline in front with a tapering collar extension ending in a long narrow tie. The little unlined jacket is open down the front and has long sleeves that flare out below the elbow, echoing the bias-cut, flared skirt which extends from a low, zig-zag seam.

This swingy flapper-era outfit was worn by Ruth Holmes Gadsden (1895-1980), who was well-known in Summerville, SC society circles.

TEXTILE TUESDAYS: Each Tuesday we post a piece from our textile collection.  Some items have been on exhibit, some will eventually be shown in our new Historic Textiles Gallery and some may be just too fragile to display. We hope you enjoy our selection each week – do let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see on TEXTILE TUESDAY! #TextileTuesday

How cute and cool for summer days…

Women’s clothing in the 1920s was certainly better suited to the hot, muggy Charleston summers than that of previous decades. Fewer and looser undergarments and a lot more skin showing were the keys.

These three garments are from the Cox-Gordon family, a prominent African American family in Charleston.  The collection that came to the Museum in 2007 centered around Theodosia Cox Gordon Robinson (1874-1947) and these three were probably made by her for one of her daughters, Beatrice or Eloise.

The flowered crinkled crepe robe or hostess coat is marked Tokyo Crepe in the selvage. It is open down the front with no fastenings, but has a wonderful pair of silk cord tassels. This cool cotton crepe would have been reasonably priced at the time, around 39 cents/yard. Wouldn’t this be perfect for relaxing around the house?

The two dresses – pink and white dotted voile and blue printed crepe – feature the sheath styling of the ‘20s with even some ruffles for a “flapper” look. The blue dress has two long “ties” extending from the shoulder seams. Perhaps these were for a built-in necklace?

Theodosia was born in Cheraw, SC – the daughter of Thomas Campbell Cox and Elizabeth Singleton, members of the Charleston “mulatto elite.” After her mother’s death in 1875, Theodosia was adopted by a paternal aunt, Julia Cox Gordon of Charleston. She was educated at Shaw Memorial School and Claflin University, earning a Peabody bronze medal in 1889. Theodosia then worked for the Bureau of Engraving & Printing in Washington, DC, married John H. Robinson in 1907 and had three children.

TEXTILE TUESDAYS: Each Tuesday we post a piece from our textile collection.  Some items have been on exhibit, some will eventually be shown in our new Historic Textiles Gallery and some may be just too fragile to display. We hope you enjoy our selection each week – do let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see on TEXTILE TUESDAY! #TextileTuesday

This lovely wedding dress was worn by Cornelia Milam who married Leslie Gladstone McCraw on June 15, 1928 in Sandy Springs, SC. The dress was made by Cornelia’s mother, Hattie Pickett Milam. It is cream silk chiffon with lace yoke and lovely lace ruffles around the skirt and overskirt. Short, in 1920s fashion, the hemline dips in the back. The stylish low waistline has shirring on the bodice and gathers on the skirt. It has a side opening on the left with snap closure. The bridal veil of tulle is very fragile and not shown, but her cluster of wax orange blossoms and buds still exists, as do her lace and orange blossom shoe ornaments.

The wonderful wedding party photographs allow a peek at the dress and the bride as they look in 1928.

These were given to the Museum in 2010 by Cornelia’s daughter, Ann McCraw Nelson.

June Brides… surprisingly, based on the collection at the Museum, in earlier years most weddings weren’t in June. Other months seem to have been more popular, at least until the 1920s.

TEXTILE TUESDAYS: Each Tuesday we post a piece from our textile collection.  Some items have been on exhibit, some will eventually be shown in our new Historic Textiles Gallery and some may be just too fragile to display. We hope you enjoy our selection each week – do let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see on TEXTILE TUESDAY! #TextileTuesday

 Orange Blossoms

Orange blossoms have long been associated with weddings and brides. Tracing back to the Greek and Roman gods, they were symbols of fertility, purity and loveliness. In Greek mythology, Gaea, the earth goddess of fertility, presented Hera with orange blossoms on the night she wed Zeus. Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage and guardian of women, was said to have received orange blossoms from Jupiter.

In ancient China, where orange trees grew in abundance, the flower was used in bridal arrangements and in wedding tea – as emblems of purity, chastity and innocence.

During the Crusades, both the custom and the plant were brought from the East to Spain, then to France, and on to England. These trees became popular in royal and secular gardens from the 16^th century on. In Crete, the bride and bridegroom were sprinkled with orange flower water; in Sardinia, oranges were hung upon the horns of the oxen that pulled the nuptial carriage.

Perhaps the popularity of orange blossoms as bridal flowers relates to the fact that orange trees are evergreen and capable of blooming in all seasons, are very prolific, and they bloom even as they bear fruit.  Their heady aroma is mysterious and romantic. There were even orange groves here in Charleston.  18th century Charleston merchant and botanist, Robert Pringle, was successful with his large plantation of orange trees covering the area now bounded by Tradd, King, Broad and Logan Streets. The Orange Gardens only lasted about 20 years, but provided many delicious oranges and undoubtedly many orange blossoms for wedding bouquets. Pringle shipped gallons of orange juice along with bags of dried orange peel to London. In 1747-8 over a million oranges were exported from South Carolina.

Today’s Orange Street was cut by Alexander Petrie when he subdivided the area into lots in 1767 and is a reminder of those fragrant gardens.

Queen Victoria is sometimes credited with bringing this tradition to later brides. As queen, she could have chosen any number of priceless diamonds for her veil in 1840. She chose instead a wreath of orange blossoms to signal that she was marrying as a woman, not as a monarch. This romantic notion was quickly adopted by English, European, and American brides, remaining a tradition for many decades. Brides even before Victoria selected orange blossoms for their wedding attire. Miss Mary Hellen, when marrying President John Quincy Adams’ middle son, “looked very handsome in white satin, orange blossoms and pearls” for her White House wedding in 1828. Orange blossoms for weddings continued well into 1950s. Jacqueline Bouvier wore orange blossoms in her lace tiara for her 1953 marriage to John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

Silk velvet evening coat, by Mariano Fortuny, c. 1920. The aqua velvet is covered with a floral stenciled design in metallic gold. The simple garment construction is rectangular, allowing for full appreciation of the fabric. A notch is cut in the back neckline and the arm openings, on the side seams, have a printed border design around them. This border repeats on the front and back centers, with the front open. The coat is fully lined with gold silk. Fortuny used this construction frequently in jackets and coats of varying length. His well-known label is sewn in the center back neckline.

Fortuny used primarily natural dyes, applying them with unique techniques and overlays. For metallic designs he often used bronze, copper and aluminum powder. His patterns were applied with woodblocks, silkscreens and stencils as well as large stamping dyes. The ageless beauty of this garment is evident in both the beautifully designed motifs and the uncomplicated construction.

This evening coat belonged to Gertrude Sanford Legendre, born in Aiken, SC in 1902. Growing up as a wealthy socialite, she and her family traveled all over the world. After the Sanford-Legendre Abyssinia Expedition for American Museum of Natural History c. 1928, she married co-explorer and big game hunter, Sidney Legendre in 1929. They purchased Medway Plantation on the Cooper River and enjoyed life in the Lowcountry in between other adventures. She died in 2000; Medway has recently been sold to a Greek millionaire. Some of her clothing and textiles, including this coat, were very recently donated to The Charleston Museum by her daughter, Bokara Legendre. This coat joins other Fortuny garments in the collection – two Delphos gowns and two velvet evening coats.

TEXTILE TUESDAYS: Each Tuesday we post a piece from our textile collection.  Some items have been on exhibit, some will eventually be shown in our new Historic Textiles Gallery and some may be just too fragile to display. We hope you enjoy our selection each week – do let us know if there’s something in particular you’d like to see on TEXTILE TUESDAY! #TextileTuesday