Name/Title
First Communion Dress and Veil 1962Entry/Object ID
2024.8.1Description
White dress and veil worn for First Holy Communion mass by former Willimantic resident Cynthia Chmura in 1962. Dresses such as this are traditionally worn by Catholic children making the holy sacrament of first communion. From the donor: "Prior to Vatican II (1962-65), the usual custom for First Holy Communion at Saint Mary was for children to receive the Eucharist for the first time together, usually at Mass on Mother's Day. They processed into the church in two long rows, one of girls and the other of boys. They all wore white. Mass was followed by the May procession that afternoon, with priests and the whole school participating. An older girl placed a wreath of flowers on a statue of the Blessed Mother."
The dress has a tag from the Miss Quality brand and is made from a sheer fabric, possibly voile. It has six non-functional plastic buttons down the pleated front, four functional buttons down the center of the back and two more at the waist, and floral embroidery on the sleeves. The veil is attached to a headband, made of netting material, and embellished at the edges with a lace pattern.Collection
Textiles: Clothing & WearablesClothing/Dress/Costume Details
Article of Clothing/Dress/Costume
Dress, VeilClothing Sex
FemaleTextile Details
Fabric
VoileMaterial
Fabric, PlasticColor
WhiteMade/Created
Manufacturer
Miss QualityDate made
circa 1962Time Period
20th CenturyLabel/Inscription/Signature
Type
Garment tagLocation
Left of back collarTranscription
Miss QualityLanguage
EnglishLocation
Location
* Untyped Location
Archives TXT-4-6Category
PermanentDate
August 3, 2025Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Cynthia ChmuraProvenance
Provenance Detail
Donated by ownerOwner/Agent
Cynthia ChmuraAcquisition Date
May 24, 2024Created By
Kearney, QuinlanCreate Date
May 26, 2024Updated By
Kearney, QuinlanUpdate Date
August 3, 2025
