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This brick red wool challis gown printed with repeating oak leaf and acorn motifs closes down the front with metal buttons. The collar and cuffs are lined with striped silk.
dresses (garments)
cotton (textile)
stitching
transfer printing
taffeta
wool (textile)
Dress
Dress
"Cherished Possessions": This robe came to the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities in 1915, a gift of Boston's Home for Aged Colored Women. The home was founded in 1860 as a way to help aging, impoverished black women in Boston, Massachusetts, a largely forgotten group. Supporters of the home provided funding for the organization and also donated food, coal, and firewood. A Committee on Clothing provided both new and used clothing for the residents. This dress, despite almost certainly being donated long after it was fashionable, had been packed away as being too good to wear.
Unknown
Gift of the Home for Aged Colored Women
1915.33
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