Maine Memory Network

Day jacket, ca. 1880

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1880 Media: wool, silk, metal

Blue and white check cape, Manchester, New Hampshire, ca. 1870

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1870 Location: Manchester; Belfast Media: wool, silk, fur

Northern Threads: Outerwear, Militia & Cadet uniforms

A themed vignette within "Northern Threads Part I," featuring 19th century outerwear, bonnets, militia and cadet uniforms.

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 - 1870-1890 - Page 1 of 4

"In the 1860s and 1870s small thread mills, such as the Haskell Silk Company of Westbrook proliferated, producing the special twist thread in high…"

Historic Clothing Collection - 1870-1890 - Page 2 of 4

"… fronted skirt flaring out at the back. An early 1870s short gray-green basque dress also features a flat front skirt, with an overdress creating a…"