Maine Memory Network

Plaid silk day dress, ca. 1850

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1850 Media: Silk, cotton, brass, glass

Victorian-era cotton dress, ca. 1855

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1855 Media: cotton

Northern Threads: Civil War-era clothing

An exhibit vignette within "Northern Threads, Part 1," featuring American Civil War civilian and military clothing, 1860 to 1869.

Northern Threads: Two centuries of dress at Maine Historical

Organized by themed vignettes, Northern Threads shares stories about Maine people, while exploring how the clothing they wore reveals social, economic, and environmental histories. This re-examination of Maine Historical Society's permanent collection is an opportunity to consider the relevance of historic clothing in museums, the ebb and flow of fashion styles, and the complexities of diverse representation spanning 200 years of collecting.

Historic Clothing Collection - Outerwear 1830-1860

"… heavy black wool with tab toggle closures, with a 1850s-1860s burnoose style fixed-in-place hood. A well worn men's black wool "country cape," not…"

Historic Clothing Collection - 1830-1850 - Page 3 of 3

"The frilled trimming may be a 1850s update. Damask dress, ca. 1848Maine Historical Society With its pointed waist and piped edge front closure…"