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| Photograph by Laura Wulf @Massachusetts Historical Society |
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Exhibit Teaser: Two refashioned silk dresses will be featured in the forthcoming exhibition at the
Massachusetts Historical Society (https://www.masshist.org) ‘Fashioning the New
England Family’ which opens October 2018. The lush, emerald green dress on the
left began as Spitalfields silk damask wedding dress, worn by Rebecca Tailer
[Byles] for her Boston wedding to Reverend Mather Byles, in 1747. It was
altered, clumsily, c.1830s-40s, most likely for a costume or fancy dress
event. Her matching shoes are extant and will also be on view.
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| Photograph by Laura Wulf @Massachusetts Historical Society |
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Unfortunately,
we do not know who made or wore the well-constructed pale green silk dress on
the right. It shows the hand of a skilled dressmaker and most likely has a New
England connection. Examination by costume historian and mannequin maker, Astrida
Schaeffer, revealed the possibility that the original c1830s dress was replete
with popular pouf sleeves, which were painstakingly remade for the 1840s.
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| Photograph by Laura Wulf @Massachusetts Historical Society |
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| Photograph by Laura Wulf @Massachusetts Historical Society |
Guest Curator,
Kimberly Alexander, Ph.D.
MHS Curator,
Anne Bentley
Photographer, Laura Wulf
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