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
Woman’s bodice, short-gown, or bedgown, early 19th century. A utilitarian garment, this indigo blue and natural checked cotton fabric has been pieced from fragments, indicating that it was either for every-day utilitarian wear or from working class clothing. To form the pattern, the sleeves are cut in one piece with the body – a T-shaped pattern, a trait typical for this type of bodice. This example has an attached pair of ties that wrap around high on the body, following the high-waisted styling of the early 19th century.
This type of garment may have been worn informally, before getting properly dressed, or when doing housework. Because it is unfitted, it could be worn without a corset, thus perfect for working-class dress or the childbed (or right after childbirth). It would be worn with a petticoat (or skirt), overlapped in front and pinned or tied. This one has a sewn-on tie. Not surprising for an everyday item like this, little information came with it when it was given to the Museum. When Cora Ginsburg, noted textile dealer and consultant, looked at it in 1980, she felt that it could well have been a slave-worn garment.
The fabric is linen or cotton, or perhaps a blend, with a woven check. Given the date and the color, the blue thread was most likely dyed with indigo.
This short gown is on exhibit in “Indigo: Natural Blue Dye in the Lowcountry” from April 27 - September 2, 2013.
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
Beautifully embroidered with spring flowers, this little silk tobacco pouch probably dates to the early 19th century. Each of the three sides has a different scene: pink and green roses and stems with a caterpillar; red strawberries surrounded by leaves and scroll; and a scroll design with an inscription and the initial “P.” The inscription, “The best wishes of a Friend Attend thee” suggests that it was made as a gift. Fortunately, the recipient never really used it for tobacco or at all since it is in excellent condition.
Each panel measures 5.25” x 9.5”. The stitches are chain, French knot, outline, satin and single done in two-ply silk thread and silk chenille. The top has a drawstring of silk rope with tassels at the ends. There are also tassels attached to the points around the pouch.
This wonderful piece came to the museum from Mr. & Mrs. William Porter Cart in 1955. If you trace back, his maternal great grandfather was William Lamb Porter (1786-1860) who married Ann Saylor (1791-1833) in Charleston on January 17, 1810. It seems possible that the “P” on our bag might be William Lamb Porter, made by and given to him by Ann before they married.
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
Lowcountry South Carolina chintz appliqué quilts are usually full of wonderful floral motifs, celebrating springtime and the beauty of the area’s gardens. This rather unusual quilt is no exception. The central floral wreath medallion is almost completely missing, but the vast array of other applied motifs easily make up for that. The entire central square is printed with tiny little flowers and edged with a beautiful border fabric, printed especially as a border. The maker has created the next border herself by applying an undulating line of a leafy print, setting off alternating floral bouquets. The final border, 16.75” wide, is a repetition of fabulous urns and floral swags. It appears that the maker ran out of fabric and substituted a totally different print on one side, probably where the pillows would cover it. The final product is covered with tiny cross-hatch quilting and the whole piece is edged with woven tape binding.
This quilt probably dates c. 1830 and descended in the Lee family of Charleston. It was in the estate of Miss Eleanor May Lee (1903-1987), the daughter of Jacob Allison Lee and Eleanor Manson Wright, and given to the museum through her niece, Eleanor Cave Hill in 1988.
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
This lovely embroidered white dress was worn by Charleston author, Josephine Pinckney in the early years of the 20th century, perhaps even at the time of her graduation from Ashley Hall in 1912. Referred to as a “lingerie frock,” as Anne Rittenhouse reported in the New York Times, May 26, 1912, these airy dresses were hugely popular in warmer weather or in warmer climates such as Charleston. They were worn to horse races (Ascot, etc.) and other sporting events, for garden parties, afternoon tea and in all fashionable circles. Miss Pinckney’s dress has delightful and extensive embroidery, lace insertion and raised flowers. It came to the Charleston Museum from her estate after her death in 1957.
Born in 1895, Josephine was the daughter of Thomas Pinckney of Charleston and Camilla Scott of Virginia, both influential Southern families. She attended the College of Charleston, Radcliffe College and Columbia University. She wrote poetry for fifteen years before penning her first novel, Hilton Head in 1941. Her only book of poetry, Sea-Drinking Cities, was published in 1927. Her best-selling social comedy, Three O’Clock Dinner (1945) won her the Southern Authors Award. And Great Mischief (1948) was a Book of the Month Club selection.
But beyond her personal writings, Josephine Pinckney played a key role in the literary and cultural revival that swept through the South after World War I. She moved in the exciting and forward-thinking circle that became the Charleston Renaissance. Here, she helped found the Poetry Society in 1920, was active in the Carolina Art Association (now the Gibbes Museum of Art), the Charleston Museum, the Dock Street Theatre and the Society for the Preservation of Negro Spirituals. Because of her devotion to the historic preservation movement of the city, she was honored by the American Scenic & Historic Preservation Society.
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
This incredible evening coat and bag belonged to artist Elizabeth O’Neill Verner (1883-1979), who played a huge role in the Charleston Renaissance back in the 1920s and 1930s. Not only did she become a nationally-known artist, but her work echoed the charm and beauty of the city and influenced the preservation movement at that time and for many years.
Her coat is stenciled velvet – gold on black - with a fabulous green silk lining and corded edging. It bears a label from its designer, Mariano Fortuny (1871-1949). Born in Granada, Spain into a family of renowned artists, he moved with his mother to Paris in 1874 and to Venice in 1889, where Fortuny found his true home. He was a painter, etcher, sculptor, photographer, architect and inventor – truly a Renaissance man. After his marriage to Henriette Negrin of Paris, he entered the fashion industry in 1907, producing his own fabrics including stenciled velvet. Simply constructed, his garments focused on the elegance and beauty of the fabric and graceful flow of the garment.
This coat was left to Mrs. Verner in a bequest from her friend, Caroline Mitchell Bacon (Mrs. George Woods Bacon) of New York in 1931. The Bacons had moved to Charleston in the late 1920s, buying a house on Orange Street. Mrs. Verner wore it for over thirty years until she no longer went out in the evenings and the coat was given to the Museum in 1984 by her daughter.
The little tapestry evening bag was brought to Elizabeth O’Neill Verner by her sister, Kathleen, whose husband Lt. Horace Oscar Cushman was stationed in Tientsin, China in the 1920s. Married in 1920, the Cushman’s three children were born in China. The bag has ivory satin lining and a jade clasp on the brass frame.
Elizabeth Quale O’Neill Verner was educated in Charleston, Ursuline College in Columbia, and at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art in Philadelphia under Thomas Anshutz. She also studied with Alice Ravenel Huger Smith, another well-known Charleston artist and in 1937 traveled to Japan, working with pastels on silk. She was a founding member of the Charleston Etchers Club, chairman of the Carolina Art Association and a founder of the Southern States Art League. Her artwork has been exhibited widely, including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Boston Museum of Fine Art. She illustrated Dubose Heyward’s Porgy and, in 1998, was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame.
Coming Friday: a selection of Verner’s etchings will be featured in our Ephemera Friday posting for 3/15/13
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
Today is the birthday of one of history’s most avid bow tie-wearers, Abraham Lincoln, so we’re celebrating with a selection of bow ties from the Charleston Museum’s collection.
Some form of the bow tie has been around for hundreds of years – from Croatian silk kerchiefs and elaborate cravats to abbreviated clip-ons.
A mid 19th century stock would have a stiff band around the neck and a bow in front. Two of our examples here are this type of stock, possibly the kind worn by Abraham Lincoln. Ours were worn by Benjamin M. Strobel (1818-1894) of Charleston. The two earlier stocks are softer and wider, popular in the 1830s and 1840s. The black silk one was worn by Dr. William Sims Reynolds (1812-1888) of Barnwell County, SC and the white satin one buckles at the back of the neck.
Most of our bow ties – tied and not – date from the late 19th and early 20th century. The elegant black silk tie with white piping on the edges, bears a label and seal identifying it as an “Original Rotsiegel Krawatte.” Rotsiegel’s or the Red Seal Tie Factory was a famous Berlin manufacturer of ties – one of the most exclusive brands to be had in Germany. The black silk and rayon bow tie is a “Beau Brummell” tie, “adjustable to your size.” This company was established in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1920 and was widely popular in the 1940s, which is when our tie was probably made. The company was named for the Regency era fashion setter, George Bryan Brummell, the father of dandyism and pioneer of the lavish cravat.
Our wonderful array of pastel cotton bow ties date from the early 20th century. Wouldn’t they be perfect with a straw boater on a summer afternoon? The purple striped tie with complete collar bears the stamp: “The Corsair. / Patent Feb. 18, 1900.” It has a buttonhole to attach to the shirt and a slit at the left side to allow the tie to wrap around the neck, making it adjustable.
Even after the appearance of the four-in-hand in the 1860s which gradually replaced the bow tie, the bow tie has remained popular for full dress occasions and for making a very definite fashion statement.
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
Woman’s gray-green wool riding habit, early 20th century. The double-breasted jacket is quite fitted; a button and thread loop hook up the side-saddle skirt on the right side. It is labeled: Charles Wm. Davis / Tailor to Royalty / 56 Brook Street W. / Exactly Opposite Claridge’s Hotel / Riding Habits, Tailor Gowns, etc. It was worn by Josephine Dulles Eppes (1855-1920) of Virginia.
Gift of Mrs. John Hatcher in 1975
Riding and the hunt have been popular pastimes for elite society throughout Charleston’s history. Men and women donned special attire to emulate the English fashion setters. Most women, at least in conservative circles, rode side-saddle, necessitating a rather unique skirt or overskirt. Women in the rugged American West dared to ride astride the horse, while Easterners continued side saddle until the 1920s.
Man’s riding suit, early 20th century. This brown suit with jodhpur pants and matching vest came from the Logan House at 32 Church Street. It was probably worn by the house’s owner, William Turner Logan (1874-1941). Logan, a practicing lawyer in Charleston, was a state representative from 1901-1904, and a Representative in Washington from 1921-1925. He married Louise Gibert Lesesne in 1909.
The jacket is labeled Abercrombie & Fitch Co. / New York. The firm was established by David Abercrombie in 1892 as a supplier of rugged, outdoor gear. Ezra Fitch became a partner in 1900, though tempers flared and Abercrombie resigned in 1907. Fitch continued to expand the store, trying innovative display and sales techniques and adding catalog sales. Around 1913, it became the first store in New York to supply sport clothing to women as well as men.
Gift of Anna Wells Rutledge in 1962
Both garments are on exhibit in Hunt & Habit now through April 21, 2013.
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
Even in temperate South Carolina, riding in a carriage to a winter-time event could be quite chilly. The following dressy overshoes, or carriage boots, were worn over delicate evening shoes. They were often fur-lined or trimmed and feature a slit front with ribbon ties for easy on and off. While carriage boots were worn by women throughout the 19th century, all of our examples date from late 19th to early 20th century.
Two examples shown are quilted cotton with leather soles, lined with wool and trimmed with fur. Two examples are black velvet with leather soles, one lined with astrakhan (curly lamb’s wool from Russia) and the other with quilted sateen. They too are trimmed with fur. The fifth pair is black leather with rubber soles, lined with quilted sateen and trimmed with fur. All boots have a long tongue and front closure with ribbon ties.
Only one pair (black velvet with black fur) has a maker’s label: “Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. / Chicago,” a chain of department stores expanded from Carson & Pirie in 1889. These shoes belonged to Eulalie Northrop who married John Furman Wall in 1912 in Marion, SC.
Pictured left to right (according to group photo):
1. Black velvet, lined with astrakhan
2. Black leather with rubber soles, quilted white cotton sateen lining
3. Black quilted cotton, lined with wool
4. Black velvet, lined with quilted white sateen – Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. label
5. Black quilted satin, white flannel lining
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
This fabulous silk crepe evening gown from 1931 is glamorous and elegant. The supple silk crepe fabric was one of the most popular choices for evening wear – it drapes and clings beautifully. The cowl neck in front is created by soft shoulder pleats and there is a small metal weight encased in silk that hangs about an inch from the center front. The back is cut deeper for maximum visual effect while dancing “cheek to cheek” and the shoulder drape adds a bit of panache. The softly flared skirt has a bias cut peplum and slits around the bottom hem. A narrow silk belt fastens with a beautiful Art Deco buckle of ivory and gemstones. The dress has a side opening that closes with tiny snaps.
This beauty was worn by Ruth Petty Pringle after her marriage to Willis Benton Pipkin in Charleston in 1931. She purchased this dress, along with most of her other trousseau items, in New York. They then lived in Reidsville (near Greensboro), NC. Ruth was born in 1910, the daughter of Ashmead Forrester Pringle and Agnes Petty of Charleston.
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
