(Fred) Lazarus Dresses
1750-1769, Man's Velvet Suit
Rust color silk velvet three piece suit (coat, vest/waistcoat, breeches) with beige and black floral voided pattern--beige floral sprigs outlined in black against a black brickwork pattern ground
a) knee length collarless coat with long sleeves having 5" deep turn-back cuffs added to bottom of sleeve; two inset hip pockets with shaped pocket flaps; front, cuffs and pocket flaps all have thread-worked faux button holes with corresponding gold textured tombac metal buttons with wood backs and yarn 'shanks'. Back skirt pleats decorated with a button at top and secured with a button at bottom, creating a slit. The coat body has chest padding and is lined with off-white silk and underlined with a loosely-woven off-white wild silk; the sleeves have a linen lining.
b) below waist length matching collarless vest/waistcoat with smaller (3/4" dia.) similarly textured gold color metal buttons with decorated metal backs and shanks; shaped pocket flaps at hips with 4 buttons (may originally have been working pockets); off-white cotton canvas back and back lining, with trapezoidal pieces of fuzzy cotton (flannel?) twill weave at lower back; off-white linen tabs hand-sewn to vest back with gold color metal buckle attached to proper left tab; off-white silk front, collar and skirt facing; front of vest flat-lined with white linen--having 2-3" strip of white wool plain weave padding above pocket flap between linen and silk facing (now only on proper left); back of vest and lower front show signs of alteration--center back seam split and enlarged, enlarging godets between back and sides at upper side seams, replacement silk facing lower left front.
c) Matching knee breeches with self covered button fly and hand-worked buttonhole front closure and front double pockets held closed with a self covered button; waistband 4.5" center front reducing to 3.25" center back; back waistband has replacement velvet 7.25" proper right and 6" proper left; 3 buttons on CF waistband, 2 replacement fabric buttons lower front fly closure; back waistband and top of breeches split 5" total; evidence of waistband ties (missing); full back seat of trousers gathered into waistband; breeches lined with fuzzy cotton 2:1 twill; interior waistband pocket right front; bottoms of breeches longer in front and cut out in back to accommodate bending knee; button closures match vest buttons; buttonholes faced with off-white silk.
HCT.1999.43.1abc
1750-1765
<span>Additional fiber images and information available at <a href="http://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/1750-1765,_men%27s_velvet_suit,_silk_stitching_thread" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the CAMEO Materials Database at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.</a></span>
1770-1780. Red Silk Open Robe
Fitted pieced bodice with low square front neckline and fitted elbow length sleeves. Rectangular shaped inset on left and right fronts near armholes connect to shoulder sections. Center fronts extend below waistline. No fasteners evident to secure left and right front sections of bodice. Back bodice created from pieces with a center back seam extending to deep V shape and shaped side back pieces that connect to pieced front bodice sections. Bodice, front and back, is lined with plain weave medium weight linen. A strip of more tightly woven linen is used on inside top edge of front neckline.
Elbow length sleeves feature two tucks at inside elbow to shape sleeve. Sleeves also lined with plain weave linen. Sleeves generally set-in style with squarer rather than round sleeve caps, points of the squares pointing toward each other in back.
Skirt: Very full with small pleats (about 3/8") controlling fullness at bodice/skirt seam. Skirt does not meet at center front. Petticoat is needed to fill gap at front of skirt. Open slits with finished edges at left and right hip of skirt to allow hands to access pockets. Linen tapes sewn to waist seam and skirt panel allow creation of rear bustle or polonaise effect when tied together.
HCT.1988.318.130
1770-1779
1770's Off white silk figured weave gown
Open robe and petticoat, off-white silk figured weave with pink and green floral pattern created with supplementary weft. Bodice closes in front with brass hook and eye closure, loose pleats in back creating 'robe a la francaise,' elbow length sleeves. Gown has brass loops and linen ties inside skirt of gown to enable pulling skirt up to create draping 'a la polonaise.'
Petticoat made from 6 panels, selvage to selvage and 2 narrower sections at side-backs with a godet at hem; pleated at waist with drawstring closure; has pocket slits at sides; Neck edge, front and hem of gown and front of petticoat trimmed with varying widths of striped gauze embroidered sporadically with pink, green and white motifs; pleated china silk trim w/pink and green tassel fringe on skirt fronts and front of petticoat only; some china silk pleating replaced with pleated gauze around neck, sleeve hems, and parts of petticoat and hem decoration. Bodice lined with linen; center back has 6 pairs of thread-worked eyelets in lining; center back seam stitched together.
HCT.1988.318.131ab
1770-1779
<span>Additional fiber images and information available at <a href="http://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/1770-1779,_off_white_silk_figured_weave_gown,_silk_applied_puff_decorations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the CAMEO Materials Database at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.</a></span>
1780-1789. Man's Cutaway Coat
Brown/green striped velvet coat that does not close but gradually tapers from center front neck to the sides and has a center back vent. Coat has a 3.5" high stand collar and long two piece sleeves with 4" wide self fabric cuffs. The front is cut on the bias so stripes angle in toward the neck. The coat has 2 deep - 12" wide hip pockets with shaped pocket flaps. Four inch wide floral sprig (daisy, and other wild flowers) embroidery decorates the center front, cuffs, back, collar and pockets, along with a line of off-white satin stitch and satin-stitch covered paper circles. Nine fabric and embroidery-covered buttons and button holes decorate the front of the coat; six button holes are cut open, 4 have uncut embroidered lines. Three buttons decorate each sleeve and each pocket. The coat is lined with off-white silk satin except for the center back which is flannel. The embroidery sections are reinforced with jute backing. There is no lining in the sleeves.
HCT.1989.318.45
1780-1789
<span>Additional fiber images and information available at <a href="http://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/1780-1789,_Man%27s_Cutaway_Coat,_flax_back_lining" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the CAMEO Materials Database at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.</a></span>
1790-1799 Linen Stays
Late 18th century stays, 1/4" baleen whale bone encased in narrow back-stitched channels of linen fabric. Front and side front panels of corset have decorative off-white wool satin weave layer of fabric covering off-white linen. Back, side back and side panels in darker tan linen. Top and bottom edges bound in off-white leather, back edges bound in a different tan linen. Seams of panels covered with decorative off-white woven silk ribbon. Two rows of narrow off-white cording run 3.5" either of center front to bottom edge and along bottom back to center. Back, side back and side panels have tabbed lower edge to allow for going over hips. Inside lined with beige linen, tabs lined with blue/white check linen except for center back tabs. Twelve large thread eyelets run either side of center back openings from .5" from top to 3" from bottom edge, evenly spaced except for two eyelets closer together at top proper left and bottom proper right.
1790-1799
1790-1810, Man's Cotton Vest
Man's off-white cotton vest with alternating vertical stripes of 1" plain weave and 3/4" twill (15 ribs) pattern stripe; notched lapel, hip welt pockets 10 covered-button closure with additional row of buttons to left; collar, lapels, front edges and hems, buttons and pocket welts embellished with flat metal sequins, and metal thread chainstitch and purple, blue and yellow thread embroidery of a fine tracery pattern; back of collar off-white plain weave cotton; back, pocket linings and lining of vest of off-white linen; hand-stitched.
HCT.2003.42.7
1790-1810
1797-1810 Striped Silk Dress
Gold & green striped silk taffeta full length day dress
- Round flat collar (3.25" wide) with 1" gathered ruffled of same fabric around outer edge; corded ruffle edge
- Front yoke 7" below front neckline; lower section of dress hangs smoothly (no gathers/pleats/fullness) below yoke seam
- Back yoke similar to empire line. Curved seams from side fronts to armholes form triangular units of fabric at side backs. Curved upper sides of triangular pieces have cording inserted into seams to upper back of garment.
- Back skirt hangs at sides with no fullness; center back area of yoke with 6" section to which skirt is fully gathered. 2" wide double ruffle, corded on edges, attached over center back gathered seam
- Shoulder detail, slightly to back of standard shoulder seam, with 1.5" wide band, corded on both edges, and extending from neckine to armhole seam.
- Set in long sleeves, pleated at cap; double ruffle at wrist with edge of ruffles corded
- Center front opening 12" down from neckline; lower section has faux closing with seven small buttons sewn on top to fabric; small shank buttons (3/8") in green and gold appear to have crocheted cover in green and gold to match fabric
- No side seams to garment. Seams at side backs for section that is gathered at back yoke; center front is hand stitched below placket opening.
- Entire garment is hand-stitched
HCT.2003.42.1
1797-1810
1800-1809, White embroidered cotton dress
Sheer white cotton floor length dress with embroidery on bodice front neck and hem; short sleeves with tassel trim. Dress has above-waist empire waistline with front bodice slightly gathered at waist and having a one-sided drawstring at the neck edge.
HCT.1988.318.127
1800-1809
<span>Additional fiber images and information available at <a href="http://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/1800-1809,_white_embroidered_cotton_dress,_cotton_fabric_and_embroidery_thread" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the CAMEO Materials Database at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.</a></span>
1815, Changeable Silk Dress
Blue/gray/tan iridescent silk floor length dress with raised "empire" waistline. Front square neckline has gathering controlled with casing and small diameter (string) drawstring that ties at center front through opening in the casing. Front fullness pleated into narrow 5/8" waistband. Bodice side pieces extend over shoulders to meet with back and create square back neckline, and around sides to meet at sb princess seams. Waistline slopes down slightly at center back. Princess seams in back bodice going into armscye with seams overstitched with fine hand backstitches. Six blue glass ball buttons (5/8" diameter) at center back closure with six hand worked buttonholes. Completely hand stitched including very fine, small backstitch topstitching on bodice.
Over-long full sleeves are cut on the crosswise grain. Hems are turned up selvages. They attach to bodice sides and back underneath decorative draped piece. This detail features a strip of fabric approximately 4-5 inches wide, gathered up every three inches across top of sleeve, stitched to neckline but also underneath armhole front to back, covering armhole seam. Sleeves very full and loose at hem edge but controlled with strip of ribbon (not original) at wrist forming a ruffle edge.
Skirt: Smooth front skirt hangs from empire seam and is entire width of fabric. Side back seams are (no side seams) selvage to selvage. Another full width of fabric creates the skirt back with 2 triangular godets between the front and back panels. Eight small pleats going toward center back on left and right give center back fullness below the waistline seam extending fullness to hem of garment. An open placket, approximately 6" long, at center back skirt below bodice buttons allows for garment entry. There is no center back seam. Hem is 1/4" turned up twice. Dress trains slightly in back.
HCT.1988.318.124
<span>Additional fiber images and information available at <a href="http://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/1810-1819,_changeable_silk_dress,_silk_fiber" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the CAMEO Materials Database at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.</a></span>