Browse Items (83 total)

Bride, 1890sThe bride, identifiable by her white wedding dress and veil, depicts several features of 1890s fashion. Her waist is very small indicating that she is wearing a tight corset underneath her gown. The gathered bodice narrows to a point at…

A young woman is standing with her hand placed on a chair in a photography studio. Standing was a common pose for women at this time because it best displayed the wide skirts. This photograph was taken at J.S. Howard’s studio in New Bedford,…

This sitter is dressed in a bodice and skirt with several distinct features that help date the photograph to the 1880s, probably the earlier part of the decade. Her bodice is constructed with both vertical and horizontal darts, and it buttons down…

This photograph depicts a young woman in the cuirass bodice silhouette that was fashionable from 1878 to 1882. This style bodice fitted closely through the hips. The skirt features a low bustle that decreased in fullness from the bustles of the…

The young woman pictured here is Clare Billings, the daughter of a toy and music shop owner in Providence, Rhode Island. Clare’s ensemble suggests that the photograph was taken in the late 1890s. She wears a bodice with tight-fitting sleeves that…

During the 1890s women began to move from domestic life into occupations such as salesclerks and typists. Dressing in separates became popular with the rise of the ready-made clothing industry, particularly shirtwaists and skirts. Charles Dana Gibson…

This photograph illustrates the third phase of the bustle silhouette, which featured a high bustle. It became fashionable in 1883. The young woman is standing with her hand resting on a "rock" in the photographer’s studio; this pose clearly shows her…

This photograph is of Fred S. Crosby (1890 - 1901) wearing a suit inspired by the publication of Frances Hodgson Burnett's novel Little Lord Fauntleroy, published in 1885/6. The dark wool suit includes a short jacket cut to show off the eyelet collar…

The young boy seated on a pillow in this photograph is dressed in a tunic that buttons down his right side, with the Eton-style collar and cuffs of his shirt showing from beneath the garment. The wide leather belt combined with this side closure…

The subject is a well-nourished, alert infant, propped up high on a stuffed and tufted armchair draped with decorative rugs or blankets (fig. 1). Given the infant’s bright, focused expression and truncal control, she appears to be between six and…