Christening Gown
date: label: date made
content: 1866
name: label: wearer
content: Lewis, Alberta Elizabeth
label: maker
content: Keckley, Elizabeth
notes: label: Description
content: This white infant’s dress with short raglan sleeves was made by African American dressmaker Elizabeth Keckley for her goddaughter Alberta Elizabeth Lewis-Savoy in 1866. The neckline has two rows of casing with a narrow gathering ribbon. The center back opens with ribbon ties and a placket. The back waist is detailed with four rows of gathering ribbon and the front waistband is covered with lace, which is partially stitched down. A full skirt with twenty pleats is gathered to the waistband. Handmade Bucks point bobbin lace trims the sleeves and hem.
place: label: place sewn
content: United States: District of Columbia, Washington
label: place made
content: United States: District of Columbia, Washington
topic: label: used
content: Christening
label: used
content: African American
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Costume
label: See more items in
content: Clothing & Accessories
label: See more items in
content: American Enterprise
label: Exhibition
content: American Enterprise
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Sewer, Andy; Allison, David; Liebhold, Peter; Davis, Nancy; Franz, Kathleen G.. American Enterprise: A History of Business in America
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Ida M. Savoy Anderson
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1983.0853.01
label: accession number
content: 1983.0853
label: catalog number
content: 1983.0853.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: dress, 1-piece
label: Object Type
content: Christening Dress
label: Object Type
content: Infant
label: Object Type
content: Entire Body
label: Other Terms
content: dress, 1-piece; Entire Body; Main Dress; Infant
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: cotton (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: bobbin lace (overall production method/technique)
label: Measurements
content: center back: 38 1/2 in; 97.79 cm
label: Measurements
content: hem width: 60 in; 152.4 cm
label: Measurements
content: inseam arm to hem: 34 1/2 in; 87.63 cm
label: Measurements
content: waistband: 16 1/2 in; 41.91 cm