Not on display

Evening Dress

ca. 1897 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is a fine example of the fin-de-siècle ball gown. It belonged to Miss Anne Thomson of Philadelphia, daughter of Frank Thomson, an early collector of Impressionist paintings.

The dress is embellished with lace motifs in a pattern of carnations and embroidered with pastes (imitation gemstones). Deep swags of pink roses are draped over the upper arms, and pink tulle is arranged in bows on the shoulder and as trimming on the hem of the skirt. Similar dresses with bows on the shoulder and floral trimmings are illustrated in The Queen for 1897.

The dress is reminiscent of designs by the couturier Charles Frederick Worth (d.1895) and was possibly designed by his son, Jean-Philippe Worth for the House of Worth. Although Worth favoured tulle and flowers, this model does not appear in the guard books of his designs.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Bodice
  • Skirt
Materials and techniques
Satin, machine-embroidered lace and tulle, embroidered with pastes, boned bodice, lined with silk taffeta
Brief description
Evening dress of satin and tulle, possibly designed by Jean-Philippe Worth, Paris, ca. 1897
Physical description
Evening dress of pink satin, consisting of matching bodice and skirt, trimmed with machine embroidered lace motifs, pastes, artificial pink roses and ruches of gathered tulle.
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'WORTH PARIS' (Gilt cursive signature, printed on waist band)
  • '97888' (Written in ink on reverse of waist band)
Credit line
Given by Mrs Soame Jenyns
Summary
This is a fine example of the fin-de-siècle ball gown. It belonged to Miss Anne Thomson of Philadelphia, daughter of Frank Thomson, an early collector of Impressionist paintings.

The dress is embellished with lace motifs in a pattern of carnations and embroidered with pastes (imitation gemstones). Deep swags of pink roses are draped over the upper arms, and pink tulle is arranged in bows on the shoulder and as trimming on the hem of the skirt. Similar dresses with bows on the shoulder and floral trimmings are illustrated in The Queen for 1897.

The dress is reminiscent of designs by the couturier Charles Frederick Worth (d.1895) and was possibly designed by his son, Jean-Philippe Worth for the House of Worth. Although Worth favoured tulle and flowers, this model does not appear in the guard books of his designs.
Collection
Accession number
T.433&A-1977

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Record createdDecember 15, 1999
Record URL
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