Collection |
MHS (unaccessioned) Textiles |
Description |
Cream satin evening skirt - the only evening skirt in the Renwick Collection. Hemline lined with pleated stiffened muslin. Pocket inside skirt. Ribbons for holding bustle. Six gored skirt.
Garment examined by P. Saunders and J. Bennett on 19 November 2006. Construction method: Fastenings. Three metal hooks and one metal ring with blanket stitch placket is 24cm long is reinforced with handsewn tape. Waistline is satin strips/band 1.5cm deep. Skirt. Front panel with six gores. Dart in centre front marked with red embroidered star? Centre back heavily pleated to placket box pleat over two knife pleats. Front panel flat A line. Seams are hand overcast. Lining is treated as underlining. The three back panels are taped on seam line at depth 47cm below waist line. Ribbon 32/26mm was attached to seamline with the ability to be tied or untied to draw front panel smooth and accent the folds at back. On the back left side pleat 190cm there is a side opening of 120cm for a pocket of 30cm deep - edge held in place by ribbon to waist. A dart on each hip line. Hem. Inside construction. Satin is turned up 6cm (sic), handsewn to stiffening. Stiffening reaches 200cm-210cm. Heavily pleated frill of 150cm around inside hem.
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 evening skirt, possibly teamed with the cream bodice, would have been worn for special occassions 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.
|
Object ID |
0000.600.0163 |
Object Name |
Skirt |
Other # |
T0846 |
People |
Renwick, Anne (nee Smith) Smith, Anne (later Renwick) |
|