Physical description

Heavy cream corded silk wedding dress and trained skirt, bodice with accentuated waist and dramatically flared peplum, shirred leg o'mutton sleeves. Embroidered with pearls, pastes and gathered silk lisse (crêpe chiffon). Shoes of white satin embroidered with bronze and crystal, silk stockings.

Place of Origin

New York (made)

Date

1890 (made)

Artist/maker

Stern Bros (retailers)
Francis O'Neill (makers)

Materials and Techniques

corded silk with pearl and paste bead embroidery, silk crêpe chiffon trimming. Beaded silk shoes

Dimensions

Circumference: 50 cm waistband, Circumference: 82 cm Bust, Circumference: 65.5 cm diaphragm, Length: 57.5 cm sleeve length, Circumference: 56 cm skirt waist, Circumference: 210 cm skirt hem circumference, Length: 102 cm skirt length waist to hem

Object history note

Worn by Cara Leland Huttleston Rogers (1867-1939), an American heiress who married Bradford Ferris Duff on November 17 1890. Sadly, Bradford died the following year of a lung ailment. His young widow remarried, on November 12th 1895, to Urban Hanlon Broughton (1857-1929), for which she wore a dress of "changeable pompadour silk" (shot warp-printed silk) trimmed with point lace.

A photograph of Cara in her wedding dress shows that a ruffle of antique lace was originally attached to the bottom of the chiffon overskirt, following the line of the swagged drapery. The wrists and neckline of the bodice may also have had additional lace trimming, although it is difficult to tell for certain. This lace was later removed, perhaps because it was a heirloom.

As Urban H. Broughton died before he could be elevated to a peerage, his and Cara's 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.

Descriptive line

Heavy corded silk wedding dress with paste and pearl embroidery

Materials

Silk; Pearls; Paste gems; Lisse (crêpe chiffon)

Categories

Marriage; Fashion; Footwear; Accessories; Clothing

Production Type

Haute couture

Collection

Textiles and Fashion Collection