Name/Title
Gown with Detachable SleevesEntry/Object ID
1981.8.1 A-CDescription
Handmade cotton and silk blend one-piece dress embroidered with blue and pink rose clusters with green and yellow leaves. The bodice has stays, a pleated V neckline, and puff sleeves. It comes to a point at the waist where it is attached to a full bell-shaped skirt. There are fastens at the back with hooks and eyes. The bodice is lined with a wool, cotton, and silk blend fabric. The dress is paired with two detachable sleeves made of matching embroidered fabric and red silk.Use
This dress is made of imported silk and features gauged skirts and piped seams on the bodice. The longer sleeves are removable, allowing the dress to be worn throughout the year. Its construction illustrates the 18th- and 19th-century practice of altering heirloom garments to reflect changing fashions. The fabric may be as old as the 1790s, but the dress is an example of evening wear from the 1840s.Context
Native to South Carolina, Mary Boykin Miller Chesnut (1823–1886) was the daughter of South Carolina Governor Stephan Decatur Miller (1788–1838), who also owned several plantations in Mississippi, as well as Mount Pleasant in Stateburg, South Carolina. Due to her family connections, Mary received a formal education at Madame Talvande's French School for Young Ladies in Charleston before marrying James Chesnut, Jr. (1815–1885) in 1840. James managed Mulberry Plantation in Camden, South Carolina and served as a Democratic senator, Civil War officer, and aid to Confederate President Jefferson Davis (1808–1889).
Mary is now remembered for her extensive diary, first published posthumously in 1905. She documented her life from February 18, 1861 until June 26, 1865, focusing on the events and key figures she encountered during the Civil War. Seeking to reconcile the South’s loss, she revised her narrative throughout the early 1880s and framed it as a battle for states’ rights.
In 2018, the Columbia Town Committee of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the State of South Carolina (NSCHA-SC) funded the conservation of the original dress, as well as the creation of a reproduction, also in Historic Columbia's collection.Clothing/Dress/Costume Details
Article of Clothing/Dress/Costume
DressClothing Sex
FemaleTextile Details
Material
Cotton, Silk, MetalColor
Off-White, Red, Blue, GreenDimensions
Length
56-1/2 inDimension Notes
Widths:
Bodice = 17.00"
Skirt = 38.50"
Waist= 25.50"Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Mary Boykin Miller Chesnut
