A Child’s 18th Century Lace Stomacher

Carefully preserved in the collections of the Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth, MA. is a diminutive stomacher (Accession #PHM111A). Made for a member of the Standish family, it is 8 inches long and 6 inches wide at the widest point. Triangular in shape, it is made of needle lace insets with a bobbin lace edge. Similar triangular shaped stomachers were an essential component of 18^th century women’s dress, serving both to cover stays, and to embellish open robes or gowns. They were easily removable via quick stitching or straight pins.

This charming piece may have been owned by Hannah Standish between 1703-1774, although the maker and wearer are not known.

Many thanks to PHM Director, Donna Curtin, for her assistance.

For additional information, contact https://pilgrimhall.org/ce_library_archives.htm

Brocaded Silk Shoes: James Adams, London Shoemaker, 1770s

I viewed these elegant court pumps from the collection of the Pilgrim Hall Museum, in Plymouth, MA. (www.pilgrimhall.org) on my summer research road trip in 2018. They are stunners. 

Vibrant, with high quality finish work, these c.1770s brocaded silk buckle shoes exhibit a high Italian heel, oval toe and pattern matched heels & toes. There is evidence of multiple buckle piercings on straps/lachets; they may have been wedding shoes. Note the snippet of the brocade placed on the underside of the upper portion of the tongue - a special visual 'pop' for the wearer.

One shoe features a paper label, identifying the shoemaker as James Adams at the ‘shoe warehouse,’ 224 High Street, Borough, London. Adams is mentioned in Wakefield’s Merchant and Tradesman’s General Directory for London from 1793. 

The accession number is 1373.3a,b

Thank you to curator Rebecca Griffin, and the staff of the Pilgrim Hall Museum for their kindly assistance.