CDV: Kate E. Perry

CDV: Kate E. Perry, c. 1860

CDV: Kate E. Perry, backmark

Backmark: I. G. Owen Newton, N.J. “Negatives Preserved” Additional Copies from the plate from which this picture is taken can be had at any time if desired.

Date: c. 1860

Subject: Woman

Location: Newton, New Jersey

Note: Photo taken at the same studio as the Woman in Plain Silk.

Dress: Perry wears a one-piece dress composed of a bodice attached to a skirt. The fabric is printed with a regular pattern of small flower bunches or geometric shapes in straight rows. The fabric may either be wool or silk or a mix of the two. The drape of the fabric, especially in the sleeve, looks to me like wool.

The bodice is darted and closes at center front with hooks and eyes. Note that the two fronts are poorly matched, indicating that Ms. Perry made this dress herself or hired a less-skilled dressmaker.

The sleeves are wrist-length in a wide sleeve, which may either be classified as a modified pagoda, or an extra-wide two-piece coat sleeve. The sleeve is pleated to fit into the armsyce, and hangs clumsily around the arm.

The skirt is floor-length and appears to be knife-pleated.  The hem is bound with wool tape.

The dress is trimmed with wide box-pleated ruching over the bodice and down the sleeve.  She wears a belt -colored blue in the original photograph- and a watch tucked into the belt, with the fob hanging below.  She is probably wearing undersleeves, though they are not visible, and she wears a narrow flat collar fastened in front with a brooch.

Hair: Her hair is center parted and combed low over the ears.  At about ear level her hair is rolled towards the face slightly, creating just a hint of a puff.  She wears a headdress of decorated hairnet, and drop earrings.

CDV: Woman in Silk with Watch

CDV: Woman in Silk with Watch, c. 1860

Backmark: None

Date: c. 1860

Subject: Seated Woman

Location:Unknown

Dress: This dress is probably made of silk taffeta, one of the most popular fabrics for dresses in the early 1860s. The bodice is darted and opens in front, as nearly all dresses of the time do (for women. Girls’ dresses open in back). The sleeve is a version of the “modified pagoda,” as it is known to modern costume historians. A wavy edge winds its way from the front of the shoulder to the wrist. There may be a series of pleats at the top of the cuff, which serves to gives the sleeve a attractive upward curve. The skirt is gathered or gauged, and trimmed with a deep box-pleated flounce of self-fabric. The only other trim on the dress is ribbon or braid on the sleeve.

Accessories: She wears a flat, white collar about 1.25″ in width. A necktie made of ribbon is penned at her throat. Her pocketwatch is suspended from a chain around her neck and tucked into a ribbon belt. Her undersleeves are fitted at the wrist, with a narrow ruffle over the hand and gathered fullness in the arm. The undersleeves close with visible buttons (or, the buttons may be decorative, and the undersleeves may close with a hook and eye. She wears a lot of jewelry, including three visible rings, dangling earrings, and what appears to be a thin, dark necklace at the base of her neck (or this may be a looping of the watch chain)

Hair: Center parted and combed down to form a slope across the sides of her forehead and smoothly behind her ears. Bound in back in a coil, and covered with a decorated hairnet.

CDV: French Woman

CDV: French Woman, c. 1860

Backmark: None

Date: c. 1860

Subject: Woman

Location: Unknown. Purchased in Paris, France.

Note: I only assume this is a frenchwoman because I bought the CDV in Paris.  Nothing about her dress looks particularly French to me.

This woman wears a one-piece dress composed of a bodice and skirt, made of what is probably a heavy silk or silk/wool mix.
The bodice is darted to fit, with a pleat from shoulder to bustline.  Whether this pleat was incorporated into the shoulder seam or happened naturally is unclear, but this particular shoulder-to-bust pleat was popular from the 1840s through the 60s.  It gave an attractive, crisp line from shoulder to bust, and emphasized the hourglass shape.

The sleeves are fitted at the armscye, and open up wide at the wrist.  This shape sleeve was common in the late 1850s and early 60s, and older women wore it throughout the decade.  Modern costume historians sometimes call this a “modified pagoda”

The skirt is full and worn over a cage crinoline.

Her dress is trimmed on the bodice and sleeves with bars, probably made of a flat tape.  A white collar, undersleeves, and brooch at the neck complete the look.

She wears her hair center parted and rolled in soft puffs towards her face.  Her hair is coiled relatively high, i.e. no lower than her hairline, which indicates either an early photograph date (closer to 1859 than the mid 60s), or that she is an older woman slightly behind the current fashions.  She completes the look with a decorated hairnet with a tassel (or feather or clump of ribbons, the photograph is unclear).

CDV: London Women

CDV: London Women, c. 1860-66

CDV: London Women, backmark

Backmark: “J. Ward, Photographer. 78 Easton Road, London”

Date: c. 1860-66

Subject: Older woman and younger woman

Location: London

Older Woman:
This woman wears a hip-length, unfitted paletot over her dress. The jacket is either a shiny, worsted wool, or a wool/silk mix. The jacket is trimmed with two rows of dark ribbon- probably black velvet- and a row of decorative buttons down the front. Curiously, two of the buttons read as white and the rest as black. It is unclear if the white collar is attached to a dress-bodice underneath, or if it is attached to the jacket which is functioning as a bodice. A brooch fastens at center front and neck.

The dress, of which only the skirt is visible, is striped.

Her hair is parted in the center, and she wears an elaborate headdress or cap. These caps were in style in the 1850s, and so it is not surprising that an older woman would wear something a litlle out of style. Unlike headdresses of the early 1806s, which formed a moderate amount of fullness from forehead level to the nape, this 1850s style concentrates all the fullness at ear-level. Wide ribbons falling on the shoulders complete the full-yet-droopy look.

Younger woman: The younger woman wears a plain dress over a wide cage crinoline. No trim details are visible on her dress, except for the dark ribbon belt/sash tied fashionably at the side front of her waist. The black cord hanging from her neck is probably a watch fob. A slim white collar fastened with a brooch completes the dress.

Her long, fair-weather coat (i.e. more decorative than functional), probably made of wool, is trimmed with two rows of ribbon around the neck and down center front. Her sleeves are also trimmed in ribbon or tape, in a vaguely military style that was faddish in the early to mid 1860s. The white handkerchief at her elbow indicates the presence of a coat pocket. She fastens only the first button; the rest of the tiny buttons which go only to rib-cage level lie unused. This button formation is unusual for the period; most coats have large buttons that extend past the waist.

Her hair is center parted and rolled away from her face and bound in back in a low coil. She carries her hat, which appears to be straw and trimmed with ribbon and possibly flowers.

CDV: Mother and Baby

CDV: Mother and Baby, c. 1860-64

CDV: Mother and Baby backmark

Backmark: G.N. Joss, ARTIST, Centre Block, New Philadelphia, O. Copies of this negative may be had at any time.

Date: c. 1860-64

Subject: Mother and baby

Location: Ohio, USA.

Mother:
This young woman wears a one-piece dress, probably of wool.  The bodice has a low V-neck, filled in with a chemisette.  The V closes beneath the bust with a decorative ribbon bow.  The bodice appears to be belted.  The skirt is decorated with vertical rows of buttons, and a row of silk ruching is just visible at the bottom of the photograph.
The dress is trimmed with ruching and dark spots, which may be decorative buttons or part of the trim itself.
The dress may be a house-dress or wrapper. The loose fit of the bodice, very low neckline, and unusual skirt trim all support this.

Her hair is parted in the center, combed smoothly down to the curve of the crown.  Her hair is dressed wide and low, rolled away from the face, and bound with some sort of headdress.  No hairnet is visible.

She also wears a bead necklace, looped twice around the neck, and earrings.

Baby: the baby wears a white dress, gathered at the shoulders with ribbon bows, and tied at the waist with a matching ribbon sash.  The baby is old enough to be out of long gowns, but still young enough to be in non-gender-specific white gowns. Th center hair part suggests that this is a female child.

Questions: Is this a housedress?  What is she wearing on her head?

CDV: Sisters

CDV: Girls (sisters) c. 1864-66

CDV Girls (sisters) backmark

Backmark: “BAIRD & JESSUP, PHOTOGRAPHERS, Main St. Middletown, N.Y.” 2 cent “Playing Cards” stamp, blue.

Date: c. 1864-66.

Subject: two girls aged about 9-13.

Location: Middletown, NY

Note: These girls are probably sisters, based on their matching skirts.

Left girl:
Wears a printed bodice with very low armscyes, full sleeves pleated into the armscye and pleated or gathered into cuffs. The bodice opens in front, and the fullness at the waist is gathered into a waistband.

The bodice is trimmed with soutache sewn in what appears to be a figure 8 pattern, matching her sister’s. The soutache covers the front placket, the waistband, and the cuffs. She wears a short, ruffled standing white collar based into her bodice, and a narrow neck ribbon tied in a bow at center front.
Her skirt is pleated into a waistband hidden by the bodice waistband. There appear to be tucks near the hem of the skirt..

Her shoes are not visible.

Her hair is parted in the enter and pulled back into a low style, covering her neck. She wears a hairnet with a decorative ribbon bow at the top.

Right Girl:
Dress is similar, and only differs in the following ways:
Bodice is of a plain fabric, and closes up the front with visible buttons. Soutache flanks the placket on either side. Her boots are leather, lace up the front, and are probably tipped with black patent-leather.