Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-08-16
RoYALTYS OLD CLOTHES.
Stockings, Old Shoes and Gowns Have
Ready Sale Among Americans.

RoYALTYS OLD CLOTHES.
Stockings, Old Shoes and Gowns Have
Ready Sale Among Americans.
According to a Sixth avenue dealer
in curios and antiques, says the Her
aid, New York society women have
developed still another fad to employ
their leisure moments and their pin
money. 1t Is no less than making a
collection of old clothes.
OF course, the clothes must have
some historic value, and have been
worn by royal or other famous person.
ages.
II have a customer" said the dealer,
who occupies a prominent position In
New York social circles, who has COM
missioned me to buy all the cast-on
corsets Of famous women I can find. I
have an agent in Europe constantly
on the lookout for them, and every
month or two he sends me over an ad-
dition to the collection.
"She is also making a collection Of
old shoes and slippers once worn by
celebrities, and other ladies buy from
me all kinds Of old clothes with inter-
est attached to them.
1.-The lady who is making the corset
collection has already gathered va
ried and valuable lot Of them. In her
collection she has a pair once owned
I.. Alnvnn1r0.
Viennese corset Of the late empress Of
Austria, measuring, although stretched
by wear, barely sixteen inches around
the waist; one Of the queen Of Italy,
Of white satin ornamented by beauti-
full lace, and short pair Of silk ones
once worn by the empress OF Russia
"Of the corsets Of celebrities she has
not a few examples. A leather corset
Of Charlotte Corday's Is a notable ex-
ample, one Of Marie Antoine .e's-a
mass of whalebone and steel, with
waist measurement of about seven
teen and one-half inches; one Of silk
brocade, belonging to famous opera
dancer Of the COS whose name forget
for the moment, was originally sewn
with jewels, and, was told, cost $1,250,
and a corset ascribed to Catherine de
Medici, but probably belonging to one
of her court ladies, is strengthened by
positive network Of steel, and must
| have been a torture to wear. They did
tight -lacing in those days, the waist OF
Aat, lnoc ho fnI1rfQqn
inches.
"Of the numerous pairs Of shoes in
my clients collection, none are more
valued than a pair once worn by Queen
Victoria when a girl. There is also a
single shoe belonging to ill-fated
Mary, Queen Of Scots, In a rather
rough leather, which must have orig
inally been scarlet.
"a shoe belonging to the Empress
Eugene, picked up in the Tuileries, al
ter her flight from Paris, Is OF black
glace kid, with a beautiful gold paste
buckle, and worked in gold thread on
the toes. One Of Nine. RachePs shoes
is also in the collection, the size OF
which shows that the famous actress
did not possess very elegant feet.
"A pair Of white satin slippers be-
longing to Nine. Pompadour are also
of considerable size, and much Worn'
though probably by some one else than
their original owner. Many OF these
items are properly authenticated, as Is
also a pair Of shoes belonging to
Booth, the famous actor; one shoe or
Washington and pair once worn py
Garrick.
| "Garters are also favorite articles Tor
collection. Another New York LADY
has a fine collection Of these. In II
are a beautiful pair belonging to the
late queen Of Italy, pair Of the queen
of Holland, a ribbon garter said to nave
belonged to Nell Gwynne, a pair OF the
queen Of Servia's, with notices; SIN
gle garter once belonging to Geor-
gian Prince Of Wales, a pair when
once were worn by Taglioni, a pair OF
blue silk ones once belonging to a
Spanish royalty, almost sufnclenty
large to go around slender woman
waist and a very dainty pair given by
European prince to a Spanish dane
ing girl we'll known in Paris fe"
years ago.
1.-The stockings Of royalty are also In
good demand. One lady, who mas
spent nearly s1,5O0 with me on them'
has some pairs of nearly every Euro
pean royalty in her collection, and also
by way of contrast, suppose, seVeral
pairs belonging to notorious criminals
The 'fsh-net' hose Of one Of the most
popular of English princesses are real
ly exquisite creations, and can quite
believe that they cost $25 per pair
| when new. One continental royalty
evidently believes in yellow as a
lucky color, for she has yellow hose
opd como with black feet"