1876 Victorian Silk Graduation Gown
This magnificent antique Victorian silk bustle gown was made for Harriet Augusta Richardson on the occasion of her graduation from Howe High School in Billerica, MA in 1876. Found in the pocket of the skirt was a scrap of ruffled hombre silk with a note pinned to it that reads, "Some of the trimmings of my mothers wedding dress which was made over for me when I graduated from Howe High School. Harriet A. Richardson, born in 1862." Harriet was born in on January 24, 1862 just nine days prior to her mothers death on February 2, 1862. A copy of a later photograph of Harriet will be included with the dress.
As you can see, the dress has a more natural, slender form as was the fashion at the time this dress was made. It is a riot of tucks, pleats, shirring and trims. The body of the dress is a gun metal gray silk with green overtones that is trimmed in brilliant cerulean blue. The fitted bodice featured a shirred front, stand up collar and wide lapels trimmed with double piping in both colors. The lapels are finished with carved shell buttons. The sleeves are finished with knife pleated ruffles of both blue and gray. Over the hips are two decorative flaps finished as the lapels and resembling pockets that are also piped. The back of the bodice is squared off at the hemline with triangular insets of the blue fabric and button detail. Hemline is double piped and the armscyes are piped in blue. Lightly boned all around.
The skirt also has a shirred front of blue silk while the sides are loosely tucked and pleated gray silk with a pocket cleverly concealed in the tucks on the right side. The back of the bustle is made up of two panels, one that appears to be buttoned back on the right side revealing blue silk lining and another that falls from the waist to about the back of the knee. As found on the sleeves the skirt is finished with a double row of knife pleats in blue and gray and all elements are double piped. Both pieces are fully lined in light tan cotton.
The condition of both pieces is excellent with no rips, stains or odors. There is evidence of prior stitching where the fabric was unpicked from the earlier wedding dress.
We are also offering a Dolly Varden style polonaise dress and the 1882 Wedding Dress worn by Harriet Augusta Richardson (Harris).
