The 19th Century Clothing Collection

During the summer of 2003, visitors to the Amos J. Blake House Museum were able to view a special exhibit of 19th Century Clothing. While that exhibit has now been taken down, you can still take a virtual tour of some items from the collection of clothing that the Fitzwilliam Historical Society has built up over the years. These pieces have been acquired mostly from local residents, some individually and occasionally in larger lots.

Sisters Lisa and Tina Sillanpaa, the daughters of Terri Sillanpaa, our Museum's Curator, model two beautiful dresses from the collection. They are small in stature, so the 19th Century dresses fit them perfectly. Tina (on the left) is wearing a three piece, white cut-work set. The top skirt is white lawn with muslin for the underskirt. The top skirt has been gathered in the back to give it fullness. The top is from the same time period with a high buttoned collar and full sleeves. 1881-1885. Lisa (on the right) is wearing a lovely white lawn dress. It has a small gather in the back which gives it a train of sorts. The style is rather tight on top, fuller on the bottom. A long row of buttons is covered by a lace strip in the front. 1880-1890.

Wedding Dresses The off white wedding dress to the left was worn in 1891 and took many long hours to make. The beadwork is extravagant. It is a two piece costume with a tiny waist and tiny shoulders. A lovely collar for the throat has larger off white beads. Although white has periodically been worn over the centuries, it really did not gain popularity as a formal tradition until after WWI. This dress, however, is a good example of dresses worn by the average bride during the early 1900's. The blue wedding dress to the right is quite a contrast. Much more popular during the 19th. century, the blue dress had great potential for reuse. This is a blue tissue taffeta of 1845.

Bonnets A table full of old bonnets! They date from as early as 1835-45 to about 1880. One is a child's straw bonnet. It is in remarkably good condition. There are also a black bonnet with ribbons (that is not a cat), a brown muslin calash and a winter hood.

Children's Clothing

On the pegs, as shown to the left, are several infant articles made from lawn and wool. There are always a few items of children's clothing on exhibit in the Children's Room at the Blake House Museum.

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