Collections record Beta

Wedding Dress, Belt, Waist Piece

1999-01-1 a-d

All pieces are of a mocha rose colored silk A: Bodice - originally done in 1855 style with vertical boning in front and back; goes down to a point at center front and back; matching silk covered wooden buttons with corresponding button holes closed the front; a later 1865 adaptation of the bodice removed the bottom 5 buttons from the original 14, leaving only 9 remaining; hooks and eyes close the bottom half of the bodice now; sloping shoulders descend to slightly rounded sleeves with fitted wrists; inside lined with sized linen cloth; bodice was extended at the sleeves - new reddish sized linen extensions at sleeves B: The skirt of the dress originally had hundreds of small approximately 1cm sized pleats at the waist all the way around; later alterations to the skirt lengthed it and reversed the front and rear making the skirt hook in the front; the rest of the material is gatehred in box pleats at the back half for a lengthened train; completely lined with sized linen plain weave fabric; bottom edge of skirt is edged with matching color cotton tape; Thread holes and the imprent of the original pleats are still visible at the waist and of the skirt All stitching on the skirt and bodice is hand done with basting stitches, whip stitches and careful small running stitches C: Belt is 1 5/8" wide x 23 3/4"long; faced with silk, backed with pieced sized linen; edged with a length of the same silk cloth D: Capelet or shoulder wrap has hook and eye closure; 25" circumference; lined with sized reddish colored linen - different from that used on either skirt, belt, or bodice; some evidence of machine stitching used - possibly a later addtition to the outfit?

The gown was worn by Martha Anne Lewis at her marriage to Harvey Joel Gaylord on June 8, 1865. Harvey Joel Gaylord was the son of Albert Newton Gaylord, the grandson of Daniel Harvey Gaylord, and the great grandson of Ebenezer Gaylord, all of Gaylordville, CT.

original date 1855, reworked 1865

• cotton
• silk
• brass
• linen
• wood