Girl's crinoline

Physical description

Girl's crinoline. The lower half of the crinoline consists of a closed spiral of watchspring steel encased in red cotton tape; the spiral is suspended on four lozenge-patterned red cotton tape straps which hang from a waistband of lined and topstitched red cotton tape. The crinoline fastens at the waist with a prong fastening of mild pressed steel.
This is likely to have been worn by a teenage girl, especially if she was in a situation where she was being treated as a young adult, such as employment. Its narrowness, as well as the wear visible in the tapes, indicates that it was for everyday wear.

Place of Origin

UK

Date

1869-1869 (made)

Materials and Techniques

Cotton tape and steel

Dimensions

Length: 81 cm

Object history note

Bought at Christie's (S Kensington) catalogue for sale of costume & textiles 29/01/2002 (Lot 214)

Historical context note

Its narrowness, as well as the wear visible in the tapes, indicates that this crinoline was for everyday wear and appropriate to a girl in her teens: the very large full-length crinolines invariably and mischievously depicted in the cartoons of periodicals such as 'Punch' would not have been normal wear for the young.

Descriptive line

Girl's crinoline; UK, 1860-1869

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Christie's (S Kensington) catalogue for sale of costume & textiles 29/01/2002

Production Note

Reason For Production: Retail

Materials

Steel; Cotton tape

Techniques

Machine stitching

Production Type

Mass produced

Collection code

MoC