Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

WEDDING DRESS

Date Range From

1920

Date Range To

1930

Materials

SILK, CHIFFON

No. Pieces

1

Length

97

Width

37.2

Description

TOFFEE COLOURED SILK DROP-WAISTED 3/4 LENGTH DRESS. HAS ROLLED UP CUFFS LINED WITH PINK CHIFFON. ALSO PINK CHIFFON DRAPING AROUND NECK AND FROM GATHER AT WAIST. V-NECK ALSO LINED WITH CHIFFON. BACK IS PLAIN BUT CHIFFON IS SEWN TO WAIST ON RIGHT SIDE. 4 SEAM GATHERED BAND AROUND DRESS WAIST HIGH. MATCHING BAND ACROSS BOTH SHOULDERS. FABRIC DELICATE AND HAS LOOSE SEAMS ON LEFT SLEEVE AND VARIOUS STAINS ALL OVER GARMENT.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

DONOR RECEIVED WEDDING DRESS FROM HER AUNT, FLORENCE BAUDEN, WHO LIVED IN CARDSTON. DONOR'S GREAT-GRANDMOTHER, HANNAH PRICILLA WOOLFORD, CAME TO CANADA, IN 1884, AT AGE 6 WHEN HER FAMILY MOVED TO CARDSTON FROM UTAH. THE FAMILY CAME TO CANADA BY HAND CART, AND MOVED BACK TO UTAH AFTER 10 YEARS, BUT ALL HER CHILDREN ENDED UP BACK IN ALBERTA. *UPDATE* IN 2017 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING A WEDDING DRESS DONATED BY BARBARA SOMMERFELDT. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD AND A FAMILY HISTORY DOCUMENT “A HISTORY OF ELIZABETH ELEANOR (WOOLFORD) BOWDEN AND HER FAMILY” FOUND THROUGH FAMILYSEARCH.ORG. FLORENCE BOWDEN (NEE STOTT) WAS BORN IN MEADOW, UTAH, ON FEBRUARY 27, 1899 THE DAUGHTER OF WILLIAM HENRY STOTT JR. AND AGNES JANE STOTT (NEE ROGERS). SHE WAS MARRIED TO EDWARD “TED” WOOLFORD BOWDEN ON MAY 10, 1930 IN CARDSTON. ACCORDING TO THE “HISTORY OF ELIZABETH ELEANOR (WOOLFORD) BOWDEN” “THEIR MARRIAGE HAD TO BE DELAYED FOR A FEW DAYS BECAUSE TED CAME DOWN WITH MEASLES. … FLORENCE WAS NEVER MUCH OF AN OUTDOOR PERSON. SHE ENJOYED HOMEMAKING AND BECAME TALENTED AS A COOK AND WITH NEEDLEWORK. SHE ALSO LOVED TO GARDEN AND RAISE FLOWERS … TED AND FLORENCE WERE NOT BLESSED WITH CHILDREN. THEIR HOME WAS A HOME-AWAY-FROM-HOME TO SEVERAL OF THE STOTT CHILDREN AS THEY ATTENDED SCHOOL. THEIR PRIDE AND JOY WAS DON KERR, A GREAT NEPHEW, WHO STAYED WITH THEM DURING THE DAY SO THAT BARBARA SOMMERFELDT COULD WORK FULL TIME. DON REMEMBERS, AS A SMALL BOY, OF LIGHTNING FIRECRACKERS BEHIND TED’S CHAIR TO SCARE HIM AS HE SAT OUTSIDE ENJOYING THEIR YARD.” FLORENCE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 76 ON MAY 22, 1975. TED WAS REMARRIED FOLLOWING HER DEATH TO VIOLA BERNICE LEISHMAN ON APRIL 26, 1982. TED PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 83 ON NOVEMBER 14, 1986. VIOLA PASSED ON SEPTEMBER 4, 1988. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD AND A FAMILY HISTORY DOCUMENT “A HISTORY OF ELIZABETH ELEANOR (WOOLFORD) BOWDEN AND HER FAMILY” FOUND THROUGH FAMILYSEARCH.ORG.

Catalogue Number

P19960096002

Acquisition Date

1996-11

Collection

Museum

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