Woman's Dress, 1789
date: label: Date made
content: 1789
name: label: wearer
content: Duane, Mary Livingston
label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: The momentous occasion of George Washington’s inaugural ball in 1789 called for exceptional dresses made from the most sumptuous goods available. This silk gown is believed to have been worn by Mary Livingston Duane to the inaugural ball held in New York City. Her husband, James Duane, was then mayor of New York.
label: Description
content: This elegant two-piece dress is a lavender ground brocaded silk with small bunches of multi-colored flowers. The bodice of the overdress has an edge-to-edge closure with elbow length sleeves. The back of the bodice is cut and pleated to the body, which is referred to as the “robe a l’Anglaise” style. The trained skirt section is attached to the bodice from the side fronts across to the back, being pleated at the back. The front opening edges of the skirt section are trimmed with ruchings of self-fabric, lace, and artificial flowers in a sinuous pattern. There are slits in the side seams of the skirt section for pulling the fabric up and through to create an alternate style called “Polanoise”. The matching petticoat is pleated onto a narrow tape with side openings. The exposed lower front is trimmed with a band of scalloped pleating, lace, and artificial flower trim.
label: Description
content: Although the current style of this dress dates from 1789, the fabric dates between 1765 and 1766. The neck handkerchief, bow, and cuffs depicted in the photographs are reproductions.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Place Made
content: World
label: used in
content: United States: New York, New York City
topic: label: Subject
content: Inaugurations
label: related event
content: Presidential Inauguration of 1789
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Costume
label: See more items in
content: Clothing & Accessories
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Alfred Duane Pell
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: CS.037201
label: catalog number
content: 037201
label: accession number
content: 114933
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Dress, 2-Piece
label: Object Type
content: Main Dress
label: Object Type
content: Woman
label: Object Type
content: Dress
label: Object Type
content: Entire Body