Maine Memory Network

Taffeta and velvet bustle dress ensemble, ca. 1880

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1880 Location: Newcastle Media: silk, cotton

Annie Corbett's beaded fancy occasion dress, Portland, ca. 1880

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1880 Location: Machiasport; Portland Media: silk, cotton, glass, metal

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: Colonial and 19th century fur trade

A vignette in "Northern Threads: Two centuries of dress at Maine Historical Society Part 1," this fur trade mini-exhibition discusses the environmental and economic impact of the fur trade in Maine through the 19th century.

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

"Some 1880s basques (seen in some of the collection's wedding dresses) are long, but not as long as the example just described, and sweep back over…"