1863 – Elizabeth Keckley, Striped evening dress for Mary Todd Lincoln
Jun 11, 2020 · This 1863 gown, worn by Mary Todd Lincoln, is an exquisite example of fashionable dress from the early 1860s. With its elegant fabric and thoughtful details, it reveals more about the wearer and the creator, Elizabeth Keckley, an accomplished seamstress who is integral to the history of African-American fashion.
Elizabeth Keckley - Wikipedia
Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley (February 1818 – May 1907) [1] was an American seamstress, activist, and writer who lived in Washington, D.C. She was the personal dressmaker and confidante of Mary Todd Lincoln. [2] She wrote an autobiography.
The Story of Elizabeth Keckley, Former-Slave-Turned-Mrs. Lincoln…
Apr 24, 2013 · The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has a Mary Lincoln gown, a purple velvet dress with two bodices, that the first lady wore during the second presidential inauguration....
Mary Lincoln's Dress - Smithsonian Institution
Mary Lincoln’s purple velvet skirt with daytime bodice is believed to have been made by African American dressmaker Elizabeth Keckly. The first lady wore the gown during the Washington winter social season in 1861–62.
1861 – Elizabeth Keckley, Purple velvet day and evening dress
Jun 12, 2020 · This lush purple velvet dress designed by Elizabeth Keckley for Mary Todd Lincoln features both an evening and day bodice paired with a wide crinoline skirt. The ensemble, worn in 1861-62 while Lincoln was First Lady, reflects fashionable dress trends of the time.
A Dress, A story, and Mary Todd Lincoln
The original story is that Mary Todd Lincoln wore the dress around 1863. The sleeve construction tells us that this gown was not worn earlier than 1864. The shape of the skirt also points to late or post-war fashions.
Elizabeth Keckly | Becoming Visible - Smithsonian Institution
Mary Todd Lincoln's velvet day dress made by Elizabeth Keckly in 1864. Division of Political and Military History, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. Photograph of Mary Todd Lincoln by Matthew Brady Studio, around 1863.
The History Behind Mary Todd Lincoln's Famous Purple Velvet Dress
Nov 20, 2023 · Keckley's purple velvet dress is one of only a few known surviving gowns she created over the years before her death in 1907. Mary Todd Lincoln had a favorite seamstress, a formerly enslaved woman who bought her own freedom to go on to make the first lady's famous purple velvet dress.
Mary Lincoln's Dress - National Museum of American History
Mary Lincoln's Dress. Description: Mary Lincoln’s purple velvet skirt and daytime bodice are believed to have been made by African American dressmaker Elizabeth Keckly. The first lady wore the gown during the Washington winter social season in 1861–62.
1818-1907 – Elizabeth Keckley - Fashion History Timeline
Jul 24, 2020 · By chance, Keckley was introduced to Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of President Abraham Lincoln. After a spilled coffee, Mary Lincoln required a new gown (Fig. 2) for her husband’s inauguration, and fast (Keckley 80). The two developed a close friendship, and Keckley became Lincoln’s primary dressmaker.
Mary Todd Lincoln | What Were They Wearing? Exhibit — Abraham Lincoln ...
In conjunction with studying the dress and construction of clothing at the time, actual high-society women in Washington who had said something particularly nasty about Mary were researched. Next, photos or engravings of those women dressed in ball gowns were found.
Elizabeth Keckley: White House Dressmaker, Author, and ...
May 26, 2020 · This three-piece day dress (c. 1862) in the Chicago History Museum’s collection belonged to Mary Todd Lincoln and is believed to have been designed by Elizabeth Keckley. It has a matching cape of green and white wool plaid, …
The inauguration of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States was fast approaching and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was in a bit of a pickle due to a coffee stain on the dress she had planned to wear to the event. lean, and asked her the name of her dressmaker. The general’s wife answered, “Lizzie Keckle.
Elizabeth Keckley, Mary Lincoln's Dressmaker and Friend
Dec 31, 2018 · Elizabeth Keckley was a formerly enslaved person who became the dressmaker and friend of Mary Todd Lincoln and a frequent visitor to the White House during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln.
A Fashionable Frolick: Bringing Mary Todd Lincoln to Life: The …
Dec 8, 2012 · One particular dress (shown above and below), Johnston explains in this very interesting video overview of the costumes, is a combination of two of Mary Todd Lincoln's dresses. Johnston had a French striped silk satin fabric overprinted with the floral design to meld the look of the two original gowns together.
Mary Lincoln's Dressmaker: Elizabeth Keckley's ...
Jan 1, 1995 · Rutberg masterfully pairs the material from Keckley's autobiography with background information on the country's history through the 1800s, creating a powerful picture of the life of a slave before and after freedom and casting …
- Reviews: 9
- Author: Becky Rutberg
What did Mary Lincoln wear to Ford's Theatre?
Aug 26, 2022 · Fabric Purportedly Cut from Dress Worn by Mary Todd Lincoln on the Night of Lincoln's Assassination.
Fragment of Mrs. Lincoln's Funeral Dress
This is presumably a fragment of Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln's dress worn during the President's funeral procession in April 1865. There is no provenance record to document how this object came to the Union League. The object was labeled as …
Mary Lincoln's Strawberry Dress - YouTube
Apr 21, 2011 · Curator Dr. James Cornelius talks about Mary Lincoln's strawberry dress which was last on display in 1985. The dress was on display May 6th, 7th, and 8th 2011 at the Abraham Lincoln...
Mary Todd Lincoln - Wikipedia
Mary Todd Lincoln. Mary Ann Todd Lincoln (December 13, 1818 – July 16, 1882 [1]) served as the First Lady of the United States from 1861 until the assassination of her husband, President Abraham Lincoln, in 1865.