Collection |
MHS (unaccessioned) Textiles |
Date |
1860 |
Description |
Maroon, ribbed silk, two-piece gown, with lace and ribbon trims, worn by Mrs. Brownlee of Havelock. Manufacture date unknown apart from it being pre 1900. Country of origin USA.
Donated by Mrs. Heath of Havelock, this gown is said to have belonged to her mother, Mrs. [Robert] Brownlee. Mrs. Brownlee brought it back from America in 1859, or 1879, when Mr. Brownlee visited that country on a business trip. However, it is more likely to have belonged to Mrs. Heath's Grandmother, Christina Brownlee nee Wilson, as Mrs. Heath's Mother (Ivy nee Pickering) was born in 1871 and not married until 1890.
The boned, lined bodice is fastened in the front with counterbalanced metal hooks/eyes below yoke, lining and separate outer fabric. Along waist, either side centre back - two metal hooks to attach skirt to bodice. There are tapes at each armhole to hang garment. There is a tape at yoke edge to support/finish fabric/lining. Outer fabric - separate shell over lining construction. The waistband, 9cm deep, is silk fabric trim, pleated at centre front with pleated self-fabric trim. The same silk as waistband is used to trim sleeve at elbow. Accordion pleated, machined, .6cm hem on outer edge of 3cm trim. Lace/netting attached at elbow to wrist, lined with organza. Above elbow is silk trim and fabric sleeve, full upper sleeve gathered into outer fabric band at elbow and armhole seam. It is lined. 12 buttons (as centre back) decorate the sleeve around the elbow. There is a sleeve opening (7cm) at wrist, finished with 4 x metal hooks and thread eyes. Embroidered trim appliquéd around sleeve hem. The bodice drops to a point at centre front. Lace appliquéd around yoke edge. The yoke is net with embroidered motifs and lace trim. At centre front opening there is 3 self-fabric bows, 9 black thread covered buttons and hook/eyes. The high boned collar is encased in silk and has gathered lace trim along upper edge. The back has three pleats each side centre back in outer fabric from waist to yoke line. No centre back seam, handstitched side seam. Has silk waistband - V-shaped pleated (horizontal) panel at centre back -7 pleats with pleated trim either side. The armholes are machine-stitched, and overcast by hand to finish. Lining and fabric stitch-finished together.
The fully -lined skirt has 5 deep pleats, which increase in depth to hem - 2.5, 3, 3.5, 5, 7.1 cm deep, which run around hem. Bronze coloured embroidery thread, heavy 2ply, is stitched (backstitched) along seam at each pleat - silk? Small padded bustle attached at centre back, made of the same lining as skirt. Waistband is made of 4cm tape folded and encasing skirt waist edge - made of horse? hair/cotton/linen - and fastened with 2 metal hooks. Lining - accordion pleated flounce attached to lining at hem: pleated silk trim attached to this at hem: machine stitched hem at lining, shorter than silk flounce: pocket placket right front at lining at flounce level. The skirt is designed as flat at waistband, and falls with fullness at hem. A-line cut.
Jean Heath (1908-1972) is 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.)
Jenny Pierson 24/03/2008: This is the "Gown Mrs Brownlee Havelock, bought in America 1860" mentioned in a list of contents in the parlour at Cob Cottage, possibly to do with fire insurance. The list is between correspondence dated 16/8/1967 and 7/2/1968 and can be found in Bay 91/Shelf B/Box MHS. Corresp. & Balance Files 1867-70, Folder MHS Correspondence Y/E 31/8/1969. It is also possibly the gown being worn by a model on page 8 of the booklet 'Riverlands Cob Cottage', written by Norm Brayshaw, secretary of the Marlborough Historical Society, and published shortly after the opening of Cob Cottage on 13 November 1965. |
Object ID |
0000.600.0038 |
Object Name |
Gown |
Other # |
T0858 |
People |
Brownlee, Christina (nee Wilson) Wilson, Christina (later Brownlee) Heath, Jean (nee Brownlee) Brownlee, Jean (later Heath) Brownlee, Iverlina (Ivy) Elizabeth (nee Pickering) Brownlee, Robert Pickering, Iverlina (Ivy) Elizabeth (later Brownlee) |
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