Evening dress consisting of velvet bodice and train, silk petticoat and choker, probably after a design by Madeleine Laferrière, made and retailed by E. Wiggins, New York, 1887-1888. Not to be removed from drawer for appointments.

Evening dress consisting of velvet bodice and train and silk petticoat and choker.

Given by Major and Mrs Broughton

This dress was owned by Cara Broughton, née Cara Leland Huttleston Rogers (1867-1939), who married Urban Hanlon Broughton (1857-1929) in 1895. As Urban H. Broughton died before he could be elevated to a peerage, their eldest son Urban H.R. Broughton (1896-1966) became 1st Baron Fairhaven of Lode on 20 March 1929, while Cara became 1st Lady Fairhaven. This barony became extinct on Urban H.R.Broughton's death, but a later barony, Baron Fairhaven of Anglesey Abbey, co. Cambridge, was granted to him in 1961, with a remainder to his brother, Henry (1900-1973), to enable this title to continue after his death without male heirs.

This forms part of a large donation of late 19th and early 20th century garments and accessories (with a few historical textiles) donated to the Museum in 1972 by Cara's grandson and Henry's son, Major Ailwyn Broughton and his wife, a year before Ailwyn became Lord Fairhaven following his father's death.

This dress has a paper label stitched to the waistband marked A. P. Rogers. This almost certainly stands for Abigail Palmer Rogers (1841-1894) who was Cara's mother. The dark colours and rich embellishment of the gown would certainly have been considered more appropriate for a married woman with grown daughters. (Updated by Daniel Milford-Cottam, 4 March 2013)

Made and retailed by 52 West 21st Street, New York. Probably copied after or modelled on a similar Laferrière gown with the same provenance now held by the Norwich Castle Museum

This evening dress shows how fashion was changing in the late 1880s. The bustle is no longer predominant and emphasis is focused on contrasting fabrics and decorative effects. The closely fitting bodice of dark green velvet is embellished with an iridescent beaded panel. The separate skirt is made from shot cream silk, trimmed with iridescent bead motifs over which machine-made lace is asymmetrically draped. One side of the train is faced with a triangular panel of gold and white figured silk. According to the Lady's World of 1887: 'Skirts now never have two sides alike'.

The grosgrain waistband is stamped in gold 'E. Wiggins, 52 West 21st Street, N.Y.' The paper label stitched to the waistband carries the name of the wearer, 'A. P. Rogers'.

The dress is very similar to a fragmentary one from the same source, now in the collection at Norwich Castle Museum, which has the label of Madeleine Laferrière, a well known Parisian couturier.

T.278 to C-1972