| Collection |
MHS (unaccessioned) Textiles |
| Date |
c.1890 |
| Description |
A woman's two piece, pale lemon satin evening top made in New Zealand. Manufacture date is c.1890. Country of origin is New Zealand. The original Owner/Wearer was Mrs. Renwick of Dumgree. It is believed this is the second Mrs. Renwick (Anne nee Smith, widow of Dr. Thomas Renwick).
Anne Renwick lived at their home, '"Newstead" in Nelson before her husband's death in 1879. Her husband's nephew, also named Thomas, inherited "Dumgree", Dr. Thomas Renwick's Marlborough estate, but because of the nephew's illness Anne took over the running of the estate. Dumgree is in the Awatere Valley in Marlborough and Anne lived there, but she made frequent trips back to Nelson. This bodice, possibly teamed with a black skirt, would have been worn during her time as manager of Dumgree. There is a book in the MHS Archives library, "Renwick - the Story of a Pioneer Family", by Elisabeth Airey, published by the author in October 1979. There is a family tree on page 81.
The bodice is trimmed with black lace (11/8cm deep) gathered around the v-neck both back and front. The bodice is fastened using lacing and handmade eyelet holes (13 on each side). It has a gold silk tape, which has been broken and roughly mended - at one end there is a metal lacing point. Around the inside of the neckline there is a narrow casing through which a narrow ribbon has been threaded to enable adjustment. The cap undersleeve is 5 cm deep. The oversleeve of black lace (28cm long) finishes at the elbow with an extra piece of lace pleated into three tucks and finished with a small bow of satin ribbon which has a trimmed edge. In the left front of the bodice is a double bow once again in the same satin ribbon.
Each piece of the bodice is lined with white cotton damask and worked as one piece of material. The seams are open and finished with whipping. The front darts have been slashed and flattened. The (13) bones are covered with the damask lining and handsewn into place. Hooks at the neck and bottom point secure the bodice.
|
| Object ID |
0000.600.0034 |
| Object Name |
Bodice |
| Other # |
T0837 |
| People |
Renwick, Anne (nee Smith)
Smith, Anne (later Renwick)
Adams, Archibald Miles William (Archie) |
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