Wedding Dress thumbnail 1
Wedding Dress thumbnail 2
+6
images
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

This object consists of 2 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Wedding Dress

ca. 1851 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Great Britain (made)

White cotton muslin dress and cotton petticoat.

Object details

Categories
Marriage
Fashion
Womenswear
Lace
Europeana Fashion Project
Object type
Wedding dress
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Dress
  • Petticoat
Materials and techniques
Cotton muslin lined with linen, and sleeves trimmed with bobbin lace
Cotton (Textile)
Linen (Material)
Plain Weave
Lined
Bobbin Lace Making
Brief description
Cotton wedding dress and petticoat, made in England, ca. 1851
Physical description
White cotton muslin dress and cotton petticoat.
Dimensions
  • Overall height, neck to hem, centre back height: 1425mm (Maximum) (Note: Measured by conservation)
  • Bodice height, neck to waist, centre back height: 400mm (Maximum) (Note: Measured by conservation)
  • Bodice opening, neck to waist, centre front length: 320mm (Maximum) (Note: Measured by conservation)
  • Bust, interior circumference below armscye circumference: 885mm (Maximum) (Note: Measured by conservation)
  • Waist interior circumerference circumference: 710mm (Maximum) (Note: Measured by conservation)
  • Armscye interior circumference circumference: 350mm (Maximum) (Note: Measured by conservation)
  • Sleeve length, top of armscye to cuff length: 605mm (Maximum) (Note: Measured by conservation)
  • Cuff interior circumference circumference: 160mm (Maximum) (Note: Measured by conservation)
  • Bottom hem, interior circumference circumference: 3660mm (Maximum) (Note: Measured by conservation)
Credit line
Given by Mrs Bessie Miller
Object history
The dress and petticoat are associated with a horsehair lace bonnet (T.366-1988). The ensemble is linked with the marriage of Eliza Sneath to Joseph Candlin in Sheffield in 1851.

However, the petticoat does not correspond with the overdress, as the sleeves are too long for the lace-trimmed lining of the dress bodice and would hide the detail of the lace edging on the lining. It is a nice and rare example of an utilitarian full petticoat of the period.
Associated object
T.366-1988 (Ensemble)
Collection
Textiles and Fashion Collection
Accession number
T.367&A-1988

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O368547/wedding-dress-unknown/
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