The full content of this document is only available to subscribing institutions. More information can be found via www.amdigital.co.uk
If you believe you should have access to this document, click here to Login.
| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Title | Silk Wedding Dress |
| Date | c.1830-1845 |
| Document Type | Object |
| Reference | SH 991000 |
| Library / Archive | Museums Victoria |
| Collection Name | Personal Stories Collections |
| Description | Faded silk dress with long, tight sleeves, high neckline and Bertha lace collar. Bodice has a low pointed front, and is cut on the straight (rather than the bias, which uses more fabric but creates a neater fit), and double piping. The skirt is made from seven panels, possibly from a narrow cloth. It measures about 3.5 metres diameter. It is gathered into the waistline. The collar has been added later, and was made for a dress with a wider neckline. The dress would have been worn with a small bustle over the bottom. |
| Biographical Note / History | According to the donor, the dress was made and used in Scotland about 1830 for the wedding of Janet Robertson and Robert Fleming. Later that year they sailed to Van Dieman's Land. In 1836 they crossed to Victoria and settled on the banks of the Yarra, later buying land in Collins Street. In 1836, Janet and Robert crossed Bass Strait to Victoria with their two children and two ex-convict servants. They bought land in Collins Street in Melbourne's first land sale on 1 June 1837. Less than one week later, Janet gave birth to another son. She gave birth to six more children, of whom four died before the age of three. She died at the age of 47, in 1856. Robert Fleming grazed sheep on the land that is now Flemington Racecourse. Although dated to 1830, the dress clearly has the appearance of an early 1840s style – particuarly the long, pointed bodice and tightened sleeves. While the dress may have been altered to update its appearance, it is unlikely that the straight waistline of the 1830s has been replaced by the pointed bodice of the 1840s. |
| Theme(s) | Permanent Settlement and Successive Generations |
| Places | Tasmania, Victoria, Australia |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| People | Fleming, Janet |
| Keywords | clothing, object, textiles |
| Additional Information | Please note: Some of the metadata for this document has been taken from the Museum Victoria catalogue. |
| Catalogue Link | Museums Victoria Catalogue |
| Document(s) linked to |
Child's White Cotton Dress |
| Copyright | Museums Victoria |
