Maine Memory Network

Ida Bowles' wedding dress, Gorham, ca. 1886

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1886 Location: Gorham; Westbrook Media: silk, cotton

Sarah S. Wilson's beaded silk two-piece ensemble, Waterford, ca. 1888

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1888 Location: Waterford Media: silk, glass

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.

Northern Threads: Silhouettes in Sequence, ca. 1780-1889

A themed exhibit vignette within "Northern Threads Part I," featuring a timeline of silhouettes from about 1775 through 1889.

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

"In the late 1880s, the bustle simplified in shape and disappeared by 1890. As fashions moved towards the next century, skirts lost the over layers…"

Historic Clothing Collection - 1870-1890 - Page 3 of 4

"… Society Between the mid-1870s and early 1880s, the bulky overskirt 'polonaise' styling gave way to the unusually slim silhouette called cuirasse…"