Baby's embroidered long gown of white lawn; Ireland, ca.1910

Baby's gown of fine white linen, with a round lace-edged neck and wrist-length sleeves with lace-edged cuffs. The bodice front has an inserted breast panel of self fabric embroidered with naturalistic sprays of white violets and edged with lace (and a rectangular panel embroidered with the same motif at the waist; the fullness of fabric between the two is gathered into lines of shirring. The bodice back has lines of shirring at the neck, and the fullness of fabric between shoulders and waist has been pressed into pleats. The gathered skirt is finished above the hem with horizontal tucking, lace insertion and a narrow band of white speckle embroidery; the hem has a lace-edged flounce which has been fluted by an ironing technique. The garment fastens at the back with neck and waist drawstrings, linen-covered buttons and stitched buttonholes, and with a lace-hemmed tie of self fabric attached at each side of the waist panel; the cuffs fasten with linen-covered buttons and stitched loops.

Given by Noreen Hamilton & Diana & Cecilia Hamilton-Wedderburn

Part of a group of baby clothes worn by the donor (Noreen Hamilton) and her sisters. Diana (born 1910), Noreen (born 1913) and Cecilia (born 1916) Hamilton-Wedderburn were all born in Ireland

Until the twentieth century the basic colour for baby clothes was usually white, for a number of reasons: it was symbolic of innocence, it was considered aesthetically more suited to the colouring of so young a child, and it was more easily washed (or boiled, or bleached). Dyes for coloured garments were not necessarily colour fast, and could even be poisonous, particularly green, which might contain arsenic.

MISC.216-1983