Mary Lincoln's Dress
name: label: wearer
content: Lincoln, Mary Todd
label: referenced
content: Keckley, Elizabeth
notes: label: Description
content: Mary Lincoln’s purple velvet skirt with daytime bodice is believed to have been made by African American dressmaker Elizabeth Keckly. The first lady wore the gown during the Washington winter social season in 1861–62. Both pieces are piped with white satin, and the bodice is trimmed with mother-of pearl buttons. An evening bodice was included with the ensemble. The lace collar is of the period, but not original to the dress.
label: Description
content: After Abraham Lincoln’s death, Mary went into mourning and remained in widow’s clothes until her own death in 1882. She gave some of her White House finery to family members. Her cousin, Elizabeth Todd Grimsley, received this purple velvet ensemble. In 1916 Grimsley’s son, John, sold the ensemble to Mrs. Julian James for the Smithsonian’s First Ladies Collection.
label: Description
content: John Grimsley attributed this dress to a “seamstress of exceptional ability” who “made nearly all of Mrs. Lincoln’s gowns.” Although he mistook her name as “Ann,” he most likely was referring to Elizabeth Keckly.
label: Description
content: The Civil War made it particularly important that the ceremonial functions of the administration appear dignified and competent. This public image helped calm domestic critics and reassure foreign governments, especially England and France, which were being courted by the Confederacy. The Lincolns faced the challenge of maintaining proper decorum without appearing self-indulgent when so many were sacrificing so much. Their background made this task even more difficult, as they had to overcome eastern stereotypes of “uncultured” westerners.
label: Description
content: Mary Lincoln took her role as first lady very seriously. Some newspapers portrayed her as “the republican queen,” elegant and admirable at public occasions. Others criticized her for conspicuous consumption in time of war and sacrifice. Although she came from a genteel Kentucky family, she was the wife of “the rail splitter,” and many people expected her to embarrass the nation with uncouth western manners.
label: Description
content: Bequest of Mrs. Julian James, 1923
topic: label: Subject
content: First Ladies
setName: label: See more items in
content: Political History: Political History, First Ladies Collection
label: See more items in
content: Government, Politics, and Reform
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content: Clothing & Accessories
label: See more items in
content: Selections from the Abraham Lincoln Collection
label: Exhibition
content: First Ladies
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Rubenstein, Harry R.. Abraham Lincoln: An Extraordinary Life
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Bequest of Mrs. Julian James
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: COLL.MTLDRS.005003
label: accession number
content: 70138
objectType: label: Object Name
content: dress
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: satin (part material)
label: Physical Description
content: lace (part material)
label: Physical Description
content: velvet (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: purple (overall color)
label: Measurements
content: overall on mount: 60 in x 48 in; 152.4 cm x 121.92 cm