DRESS, DOLL

Description: DRESS IS MADE FROM WHITE SHEER FABRIC WITH WHITE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL. RUST COLOURED STAINING THROUGHOUT FRONT AND BACK. LACE AROUND SHOULDER LENGTH SLEEVES, WAIST AND COLLAR. PINK RIBBON LACED THROUGHOUT LACE AT SLEEVES. DRESS OPENS AT FRONT WITH NO VISIBLE METHOD OF CLOSURE. WIDE HEM AT BOTTOM.

History: DOLL DRESS WAS OWNED AND USED BY DONOR’S MOTHER MARY ELIZABETH VANBUSKIRK NEE TAYLOR, AND MADE BY DONOR’S GRANDMOTHER EDNA LOUISE TAYLOR NEE PRINCE BEFORE SHE PASSED AWAY IN 1916. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS EXTRACTED FROM A LONGER NARRATIVE WRITTEN BY MARY VANBUSKIRK AT THE TIME OF DONATION: “LIKE MANY OF HER CONTEMPORARIES, [MY GRANDMOTHER] LOUISE WAS A METICULOUS NEEDLEWOMAN -- SHE MADE MANY OF HER OWN CLOTHES AS WELL AS MUM'S, EVEN INCLUDING UNDERWEAR, NIGHTWEAR, AND DOLL CLOTHES. FOR HER LAST PREGNANCY SHE FASHIONED SEVERAL LOUNGING OUTFITS TO WEAR WHILE IN BED AND NURSING THE BABY. SADLY, SHE DID NOT GET TO WEAR THEM FOR VERY LONG.” FOR DETAILED BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION RELATING TO DONOR'S FAMILY HISTORY, PLEASE SEE TO P20110012001.; *UPDATE* IN 2021 TWO COLLECTIONS ASSISTANTS, RYLEY GELINAS AND O. E., CONDUCTED AN AUDIT OF THE ROLLED TEXTILE COLLECTION, INCLUDING OTHER ARTIFACTS WITHIN THIS COLLECTION. RESEARCH CONDUCTED INTO THE DONOR WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AND NO FURTHER INFORMATION WAS MADE AVAILABLE AS A RESULT OF THE AUDIT WORK.