Miniature copy of First Lady Truman's evening gown by Ann Lowe
date: label: Date
content: 1957-1967
name: label: Created by
content: Ann Lowe, American, 1898 - 1981
label: Subject of
content: Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
notes: label: Caption
content: This miniature dress is part of the Evyan Collection of First Lady Inaugural Gowns. Starting in 1957, for the launch of their Great Lady perfume, the Evyan perfume house commissioned several designers, including Ann Lowe, to replicate 29 inaugural gowns of the American First Ladies in miniature form. Lowe created six sets of inaugural gowns based on the originals, which are on exhibit in the First Ladies’ Hall at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
label: Description
content: A miniature copy of First Lady Truman's evening gown by Ann Lowe. The a-line silhouette dress has a V neckline, long sleeves, and a full-length skirt. The bodice is made of mauve silk charmeuse and has a center front seam and one dart bust on each side below the armscye. The skirt is constructed of mauve silk charmeuse floral damask. The skirt has a total of eight gores that are narrow at the waistline and widen at the hemline. Dark gold flower appliques are machine stitched to dress skirt and bodice. The silk embroidered appliques have gold metallic thread embroidery on the petals towards the center of the flower. Portions of the same floral damask that is used to construct the dress’s skirt are placed underneath the appliqued gold flowers on the bodice and along the neckline. The dress opens in the center back with a metal zipper. Two darts are sewn to the back of each sleeve along the inner seam. Appliqued pieces of the silk charmeuse floral damask are stitched to the back of the bodice ending at the waistline. The back of the skirt is longer than the front which leads into a small train. The bodice is lined with cream silk that is hand-stitched to the bodice interior along neckline, and machine stitched in all other areas. The skirt lining is constructed of cream synthetic that also has eight gores. It is entirely machine sewn. The dress has no labels.
label: Cataloging Notes
content: This project received Federal support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
place: label: Place made
content: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
label: Place collected
content: New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Black Enterprise
label: Topic
content: Clothing and dress
label: Topic
content: Fashion
label: Topic
content: Fashion design
label: Topic
content: Politics
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Collection title
content: Black Fashion Museum Collection
label: Classification
content: Clothing - Fashion and Historical
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2007.3.30
objectType: label: Type
content: dresses
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: No Known Copyright Restrictions
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: silk charmeuse, silk charmeuse damask, silk, synthetic fiber, metal, and metal thread
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (flat): 44 1/2 × 9 1/2 in. (113 × 24.1 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: Waist: 7 in. (17.8 cm)