Lace Wedding Dress of Susan Koelle Bell

VC2013008

Lace Wedding Dress of Susan Koelle Bell

Cream lace wedding dress: lining made of silk taffeta; machine-made lace overdress. Square neckline; two darts bust to waist, two darts past the waist on the back, two small darts on side of lingerie straps of lining, all the darts are in the lining; full lining of silk taffeta, with camisole attached at waist; sleeves of overdress gathered at 3/4 mark on inside seam and flare out, has second layer with metal snaps to keep the lace close to the arm; torso is slightly gathered at center back; floor-length four-piece gored skirt; bottom of silk taffeta underskirt is pleated; picot edge hem done by machine; metal hooks and eyes at center; metal snaps at wrists and lingerie straps; lace overdress has a filigree design; grosgrain ribbon at back closures.

1903

Clothing and dress

28 inches (chest), 25 inches (waist), 34 inches (hips), 50 inches (center front length), 65.5 inches (center back length), 250 inches (hem circumference), 8 inches (underarm to waist).

cotton

elastic

metal

Physical Object

United States

1900s

1910s

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/

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Taylor Bowen, Alexandra Figler, and Arden Kirkland, 12/9/13

cream

machine sewing

lace making

darts

hooks and eyes

center back closure

square neckline

natural waistline

floor length

lining

28

25

34

50

65.5

250

8

28 inches (chest), 25 inches (waist), 34 inches (hips), 50 inches (center front length), 65.5 inches (center back length), 250 inches (hem circumference), 8 inches (underarm to waist).

Leonora Davies Bowman

Anne Worthington Bowman Kinnaird

Susan Thompson Koelle Bell

Susan Thompson Koelle Bell

1903

1972

American

womenswear

costume

clothing

Wedding

wedding clothes

good

Stains on the skirt of the dress, mostly on the outer layer, but also a lot on the inner layer of the skirt on the inside. Some holes in the lace of both the underarms. A little bit of fraying at the back lining of the bodice, very minimal. The fabric has yellowed somewhat.



The dress was altered for the 1936 wedding of Anne Worthington Bowman Kinnaird.

Place in freezer late December 2013 - January 2014; two white balls removed from front center lace skirt; mildew at inner top ruffle vacuumed.

S1

Vassar College Costume Collection, Drama Department, 124 Raymond Avenue, Poughkeepsie, NY 12604

dress