The Henry Ford and the Winter Wedding Dress

The Henry Ford Museum of Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan has been a significant influence in my life for as long as I can remember. The Henry Ford largely focuses on living history and teaching through immersive experience. The staff encourage hands on learning and a can-do attitude. At the heart of each exhibit is their mission. 

"The Henry Ford provides unique educational experiences based on authentic objects, stories, and lives from America’s traditions of ingenuity, resourcefulness, and innovation. Our purpose is to inspire people to learn from these traditions to help shape a better future." The purpose of The Henry Ford is apparent and has been responsible for inspiring my own passion for historical clothing. One of their many events includes Civil War Remembrance Weekend. My love for the mid-19th century started at that event over fifteen years ago and lead me back to pursue a job in the period clothing studio before my first semester in graduate school. I've had the privilege of working with the studio for several summer seasons now. 

This past season (the summer of 2019), I was tasked to design a gown. This gown was a collaborative project between the curatorial department and the period clothing studio. I was responsible for research and design. I spent hours in The Benson Ford research center and archive going through historical, American ladies magazines. I met with the curatorial department several times and sketched over 15 iterations of our ideas. This gown was being designed around a fictional historical figure relating to the Carroll family of Susquehanna which presented its own challenges. We struggled with fabric choice and color because of 19th century clothing rules pertaining to age, season, and location. When the gown is finished, it will be displayed in a historic house as a historical garment. The sewing techniques and construction are to represent that time period as accurately as possible. When the audience sees this piece, hopefully they will begin to understand the long process of sewing a 10 yard gown by hand. This was also designed in the hopes that the audience will gain some perspective on American traditions and feel closer to their own history.  

Research:

It always amazes me how much of the research process is a puzzle. It's so rare to find a straight forward, exact answer. I discovered this many years ago when I attempted to make my first Victorian day dress. There wasn't a 'How to Sew a Victorian Dress in 5 EASY Steps' book. What I was given were collections of period photographs and illustrations to interpret which is still part of how I research clothing today. If an image happens to also have a description, it's like Christmas. During the process of designing this wedding dress, I was searching through a database full of hundreds of letters from/or pertaining to the American civil war and stumbled upon a letter from a young woman in which she briefly states that she is getting married and is going to have a purple dress made. 

This letter is not from the exact time period we needed so I didn't use it in the research I presented to the curators, but it was an amazing find. And as the researcher, it was important for me to understand the trends in fashion capping either side of the decade I was designing from. 

The original wedding dresses that exist still in museums like the Met and the V&A are great indications of fabric, but most of them have been altered for other occasions. The article from Godey's Ladies Magazine from October 1857 is an example of the way Victorian's would use a wedding dress for another occasion. The fig. 1 description describes how to transform a bridal dress into a party dress.

As I continue studying period clothing and original garments, I'm finding the remaking of a gown to be a common practice amongst victorians. Therefore, finding the true form of a period correct wedding gown becomes even more important. 

If we look at fashion plates of wedding dresses, we will see that most of them are long sleeved and meant to be worn during the day. It was fashionable to wear white, but it wasn't as common as it is today. Many brides chose to have dresses made in other colors and styles that were practical to their future married life. Brides were expected to have new clothing made regardless. The amount of new gowns, fabric, and style all depended on location, age, and economy. 

Godey's 1860

Godey's 1861

After acquiring an understanding of the fashion and function of a wedding gown in 1860, it's time to start designing. One of the curators kindly met with me to talk about the location, economic situation, and characteristics of the Carroll family. We discussed the time of year and importance of fabric choice. We also talked about the capability of the Carrolls to receive fabrics from overseas. And for character, we discussed what we could infer from what the Carrolls left behind. The construction and size of their house was the largest visual clue for me. If you have the chance see the house, you'll read a plaque explaining the expansive wealth of Mr. Henry James Carroll (the owner). Looking at his house, you'll see the size of it is more modest than what one would expect from one of the richest men in St. Mary's county. This was the biggest indication for me because it shows his practicality which would most certainly shine through in a wedding he was hosting.    

Design: 

Sitting down to draw is the moment when all the research has to come together visually.  When designing in a museum setting, pushing the truth is absolutely required. Knowing the time period becomes indispensable. Every choice made has to be as historically accurate as we are capable.   

Looking at the research, I had to find lines in the clothing that gave the impression of a young woman. I also had to design a garment that was practical in the sense of embellishment and use. The dress had to be versatile, but specialized. It was also important to me the dress created a moment of teaching. I wanted to show a different style of bodice in this time period, one audiences don't see as much in period film or reproductions. As I looked through my acquired Godey's images from 1860, I noticed a repeating trend; the square neckline. The square neckline can be worn in the day with a chemisette or without in the evening. The bride would wear her wedding gown during the day with her chemisette and after the wedding, her gown could be worn as an evening gown in her every day life without the chemisette.  

Godey's, July 1860

Godey's, November 1860

Godey's 1860

Godey's 1860

As shown in the images above, the square neckline occurred in fashion plates a number of times that year. The curatorial and design teams were favorable to the square neckline that sloped slightly off the shoulders because it's a sweeter, softer look more suitable to a young lady.

As I started to collaborate with the curatorial department, we discovered other possible styles for our bride. At one point, we looked at original dresses in museum collections and found that many of them had short sleeves. So I produced a sketch with that in mind, but we still had to address the issue that these gowns with short sleeves might have been altered for other occasions. 

This sketch incorporated more of a day look, but after seeing the completed drawing, we all felt that this design lacked a sweetness and an opportunity to show something unique.

                                                   

This final sketch is what we decided on. The slightly rounded square neckline, puffed sleeves, and pointed waistline created the perfect combination. We took the pleated panels from the 1860 July Godey's and the puffed sleeve and rounded square neckline from another fashion plate in the same publication. 

         

The gown is nearly complete and will be displayed in the Susquehanna house at The Henry Ford's Holiday Nights Event Starting in Early December. The team of people that made this gown used many historical sewing techniques that take huge amounts of time because they must be done by hand. This gown took months from conception to reality and it was an honor to be a part it. My hope is for audiences experiencing this gown to notice the detail and become inspired to either learn more or make something themselves. As makers, artisans, and designers, it's our job to inspire. Even the buildings at The Henry Ford are no exception. Those buildings represent seemingly regular people creating life changing innovations reenforcing that anyone has the capability to achieve brilliance and I hope this gown contributes to the uplifting and encouraging spirit of The Henry Ford Museum.   

Produced by The Henry Ford

Head of The Period Clothing Studio: Anne Suchyta

Curatorial Team: Jeanie Head Miller and Jim Johnson

Dress Design by Katherine Stefl

Made by The Period Clothing Studio

Bibliography

Fahs, Elizabeth Anderson. 1871. “Letter from Annie Elizabeth Anderson Fahs to James House Anderson, June 24, 1871,” July 24, 1871. The American Civil War: Letters and Diaries. https://cwld-alexanderstreet-com.proxy01.its.virginia.edu/cgi-bin/CWLD/hub.py?type=getvolume&sourceid=S1544-D290.

Godey’s Ladies Magazine 1860. 1860. Philadelphia: Louis A. Godey.

Godey’s Ladies Magazine 1861. 1861. Philadelphia: Louis A. Godey.