Portfolio

  • 1830s silk ballgown. Some garments present unique mounting problems; the neckline of this spectacular dress was very uneven, either because the seamstress had made an error or because the original wearer had an asymmetrical physique. The mannequin needed to support the neckline smoothly, not letting it gap on one side, yet not too obviously uneven as that would have been visually distracting. Courtesy of the Audubon House & Tropical Gardens, Key West, FL
  • Early 19th c., toddler's dress. Courtesy of Strawbery Banke Museum
  • Robe, circa 1862-64. This mannequin has a hoop skirt and petticoat to support the correct skirt shape. Photograph by Peter Harholdt. Gift of the Home for Aged Colored Women. Courtesy of Historic New England/SPNEA. [1915.32]
  • 1870s silk gown and paisley shawl.This is a double mount: for the dress itself, and also for the shawl. The arms of the mannequin were reinforced and bendable in order to support the shawl's weight and to allow it to be draped as it would have been worn. Courtesy of the Irma Bowen Textile Collection, UNH Museum.
  • 1909 wool suit. Shapes for early 20th century women’s clothes are markedly different than for earlier eras. Courtesy of the Irma Bowen Textile Collection, UNH Museum