Not currently on display at the V&A

Wedding Dress

1952 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

When Kenneth Bonney was posted to an RAF station in the North East of Scotland, his bride-to-be Beryl Veronica Habberjam, nee Howard, went to stay with his parents, who lived on the Isle of Raasay, until their marriage. Her future mother-in-law, Jessica Bonney, made the wedding dress on a Singer treadle sewing machine as there was no electricity on the island. The couple married at St. John 's Church, Forres, Moray, Scotland.
Red is an unusual choice for a wedding in the British Isles, though an auspicious colour for weddings in many other parts of the world. It is not known why the bride chose the colour but white would have been considered inappropriate for a second marriage.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
hand and machine sewn (on a treadle machine); silk and rayon
Brief description
Red silk velvet wedding dress, 1952
Physical description
Red silk velvet; ivory rayon lining to bodice and sleeves; fastening with 10 self-covered buttons at the back neck, four at the cuff and a side zip. The front of the bodice is cut in two pieces with darts from the V-shaped waist. The back is cut in one piece with darts from the waist. The dress has a turn down collar, shoulder pads and an 8cm opening at the neck which closes at the throat with a hook and eye. It has long sleeves, shaped at the elbow with three darts, cut in two pieces with a decorative open seam on the outside; the cuffs end in an extended 'V' over the hand.The front skirt is constructed from three panels; the back is cut with three panels and two gores to create a long curved train. The central back panel incorporates a box pleat.
Dimensions
    Credit line
    Given by Group Captain Kenneth Bonney, RAF
    Object history
    The wedding dress was worn by a young widow, Beryl Veronica Habberjam, nee Howard, for her second marriage to the donor. It was made by her future mother-in-law Jessica Bonney who lived on the Isle of Raasay. The wedding took place at St. John's Church, Forres, Moray, Scotland.
    Summary
    When Kenneth Bonney was posted to an RAF station in the North East of Scotland, his bride-to-be Beryl Veronica Habberjam, nee Howard, went to stay with his parents, who lived on the Isle of Raasay, until their marriage. Her future mother-in-law, Jessica Bonney, made the wedding dress on a Singer treadle sewing machine as there was no electricity on the island. The couple married at St. John 's Church, Forres, Moray, Scotland.
    Red is an unusual choice for a wedding in the British Isles, though an auspicious colour for weddings in many other parts of the world. It is not known why the bride chose the colour but white would have been considered inappropriate for a second marriage.
    Collection
    Accession number
    T. 153-2014

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    Record createdJuly 2, 2014
    Record URL
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