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Historic Richmond Town

Object Record

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Object Name Dress
Alternate Name Tea Gown
Date ca. 1895
Description Woman's 1-piece dress of burgundy velvet, embroidered net, pink satin, and pink silk brocade with floral design in green, pink, and white. Princess style, with a panel of brocade gathered and inset in front of bodice, a wide band of velvet draped across front of waist, and a panel of pink satin with embroidered net overlay inset in front of skirt. Bodice has front hook and eye closure over wearer's left side. Standing velvet collar is trimmed with embroidered net. Round thread-covered buttons ornament each side of the bodice and back of neckline. Long sleeves are puffed silk brocade from shoulders to elbows and narrow velvet from elbows to cuffs, with embroidered net trim at cuffs. Skirt has a seamed back, ornamented with a velvet and brocade bow at center of back, and is deeply box pleated under the bow. Skirt has a train and is lined with pink silk twill edged with a pleated ruffle.
(Keywords: Fashion, Late Victorian, Gilded Age, New York)
Acquisition Gift of Carole Ryan
Ownership and History This dress was worn by Fannie Evans Weeks Halle (1862-1951) of Staten Island. She was the daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth Evans, and the stepdaughter of Benjamin Weeks (her mother's second husband). The Weeks family owned the Weeks Shipping Company, Princes Bay. Fannie married Benjamin K. Halle (1857-1888), and they had one son, Robert J. Halle.

The dress was donated to the Staten Island Historical Society in 1985 by Carole Ryan, the wife of Fannie's great-grandson James Ryan.
Earliest Date 1890
Latest Date 1900
Subjects Clothing & dress
Lexicon Sub-category Clothing -- Outerwear
Associated People Halle, Fannie (Weeks)
Catalog Number 85.076.0002
Support Acknowledgment Online Collections Database record made possible by The Coby Foundation, 2009.
Legal Status Images and text in this database are copyrighted by the Staten Island Historical Society unless otherwise noted. Items represented here are from the collections of the Staten Island Historical Society. Materials reproduced for personal non-commercial use must credit the Staten Island Historical Society. Commercial licensing is available.