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Wedding waistcoat

Wedding waistcoat

  • Place of origin:

    UK (made)

  • Date:

    1850-1853 (made)
    12 July 1853 (worn)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Silk damask figured with green floral sprigs, lined and backed with cotton, hand-sewn

  • Credit Line:

    Given by Miss C. M. Higgs

  • Museum number:

    T.121-1949

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

  • Download image

From the 1830s through to the 1850s, the waistcoat was the most eye-catching article of a man’s attire. Made of brightly patterned silks and velvets, or richly embroidered in coloured silks, the waistcoat stood out against the sombre blues and blacks of the coat and the pale shades of trousers. This waistcoat was worn by Mr George Higgs (1826-1925) on the occasion of his wedding to Ann Smith Corderoy in London on 12 July 1853. The ceremony took place at the Brunswick Wesleyan Chapel in Dorset Square.

Physical description

Silk damask waistcoat, cream woven with a damask foliate design and green floral sprigs, 6 self covered buttons down front, cream cotton back and lining.

Place of Origin

UK (made)

Date

1850-1853 (made)
12 July 1853 (worn)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Silk damask figured with green floral sprigs, lined and backed with cotton, hand-sewn

Object history note

Worn by George Higgs (8 Nov 1826-8 Apr 1925) on his marriage to Ann Smith Corderoy (b. 26 Dec 1829) on 12 July 1853, at the Brunswick Wesleyan Chapel, Dorset Square, London.

Exhibition History

Unveiled: 200 years of wedding glamour from the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. (Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington 17/12/2011-22/04/2012)
The White Wedding Dress: 200 Years of Wedding Fashions (Bendigo Art Gallery 01/08/2011-06/11/2011)

Labels and date

Waistcoat for a Methodist wedding
Britain
1853

George Higgs chose this waistcoat for his wedding to Ann Smith Corderoy at the Brunswick Wesleyan Chapel in London on 12 July 1853. Higgs was a civil servant employed in the Admiralty in London and like his wife, a Methodist. Marks of wear on the waistcoat show that he continued to wear it after his wedding.

Silk, backed and lined with cotton
Given by Miss C.M. Higgs
V&A: T.121-1949 [2011]

Categories

Clothing; Fashion; Marriage

Collection code

T&F

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Qr_O75655
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