Collection |
MHS (unaccessioned) Textiles |
Date |
c.1893 |
Description |
A two-piece gown worn by Mrs. William Ross Brownlee (nee Christina Wilson) of Havelock. Manufacture date 1893? Country of origin unknown, there is no label inside which would indicate that the garment was made for the owner, perhaps by a local dressmaker.
This gown is believed to have been Mrs. William Ross Brownlee's wedding gown but she married in 1850 and that is too early for this gown. However, it may be that it was made in 1890 for her to wear at the weddings of two of her children; John Wilson Brownlee married Harriet Jane Giles in 1890 and Robert Brownlee married Iverlina (Ivy) ELizabeth Pickering, also in 1890 (see Notes for sources). It was also loaned out to brides in the Nelson area. The Brownlees were a well-known sawmilling family in the Havelock area.
Although William Ross Brownlee married secondly to Isabella Porteous nee Wilson, sister to Christina (MHS Archives Library, Brayshaw notebook 22 , page 95), date unknown, he was a widower in 1906 (Cyclopedia of New Zealand, published 1906, page 410), and unless the second Mrs. William Ross Brownlee wore an old gown as her wedding gown this gown is made too early to be her wedding gown.
Description of the gown. The fitted bodice of light old rose cotton satin is trimmed with a pleated, pouched, panel of cream cotton lace, finished with a cream silk grosgrain ribbon trim. The boned bodice is fastened down the centre front with hooks and handmade eyelets. The sleeves are fitted and are finished with the same cream lace and ribbon trim. Each piece of the bodice is lined with plain cotton lining and finished at the edge with a machine finish. Handstitching is used to secure matching cotton satin trim inside front /hem of bodice. The underskirt has tape casings for four steel stays and shows signs of removal of three. The top steel stay remaining can be untied, or untied as required with tapes provided - this would provide support for the skirt and gave it the characteristic bustle shape. There is a finely pleated organza "dust protector" inside the underskirt hem. A bustle pad would have been worn just below the waist for added support. The foundation upper skirt has a deeply pleated (stroked) arrangement at centre back (12cm) which forms part of the bustle. The bustle arrangement is finished with a bow of cream grosgrain ribbon, which is set to the back right. The skirt finishes in a series of pleats, which fall from halfway in the front and from the waist at the back. Skirt opens at left back with a placard of cotton satin and is fastened with two hooks onto cotton eyes. The lace drapery front panel is attached at waistband at the front and has six deep pleats set into right side seam and tapers over to the left-hand front side where the lace is caught in two places. It is very tiny and will probably only fit a size eight.
Textiles Manager says, " I believe that I remember that a Mrs. Heath from Havelock gave this garment to Mrs. Collins.
Part of Ethel Collins collection. Some of the clothing collection attributed to Mrs. Ethel Collins was gathered before she became a member of MHS. Later, as volunteer in charge of the Textile Department, garments were donated to her for the Society [see MHS minute book 5, page 211]. These garments joined her own donated collection and all became part of the MHS Textile Collection.
Jenny Pierson, 3/10/2007. A note in the MHS minutes of 22 February 1971 says, "Mrs. Collins returned items used at Cob Cottage and others donated to her for the Society - Wedding dress [from] Mrs. Heath." From Minute book 5, page 211, Archives/Bay 105/Shelf B.
Jean Heath (1908-1972) was the daughter of Robert Brownlee and his wife Iverlina (Ivy) E. Pickering and the granddaughter of Christina Brownlee (unsourced information held in MHS Archives VF under William Brownlee.)
|
Object ID |
0000.600.0037 |
Object Name |
Gown |
Other # |
T2037 |
People |
Brownlee, Christina (nee Wilson) Wilson, Christina (later Brownlee) Heath, Jean (nee Brownlee) Brownlee, Jean (later Heath) Collins, Ethel Maude (nee Wratt) Wratt, Ethel Maude (later Collins) Brownlee, Isabella (formerly Porteous, nee Wilson) Porteous, Isabella (nee Wilson) Wilson, Isabella (later Porteous, later Brownlee) Brownlee, William Ross Brownlee, John Wilson Brownlee, Robert Giles, Harriet Jane Pickering, Iverlina (Ivy) Elizabeth (later Brownlee) |
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