PETTICOAT

Description: WHITE. TOP, FRONT OF SLIP HAS 2 HORIZONTAL STRIPS, ACROSS STOMACH. BELOW THIS, THE REST OF THE SKIRT IS GATHERED INTO TINY PLEATS. AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SKIRT, IT IS ENCIRCLED BY SEVEN BANDS OF FABRIC. THE BANDS ALTERNATE FROM A PATTERN OF RAISED HORIZONTAL LINES, TO A TRANSLUCENT HONEYCOMB PATTERN. BOTTOM EDGE OF SKIRT IS TRIMMED WITH LACE. BACK OF SKIRT HAS A SMALL SLIT AT WAISTLINE. THERE IS ONE TIE ON BACK (OTHER ONE IS MISSING) FOR CLOSING PETTICOAT. MANY OF THE SEAMS ARE LOOSE; HAS YELLOW STAINS ON IT.

History: INTENT TO DONATE IDENTIFIED THIS AS A MATERNITY SLIP, HOWEVER MATERNITY SLIPS GENERALLY HAVE ELASTIC ACROSS STOMACH SO THEY STRETCH; THIS DOES NOT. SEE P19920058006-GA FOR HISTORY. *UPDATE* IN 2015 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT JANE EDMUNDSON CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF ART OBJECTS, INCLUDING ONE DONATED BY MARJORIE WELCH'S MOTHER, NORA EVERSON. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE SHERLOCK/MACLEOD FAMILY, SEE RECORDS P19960108000 AND P19740093000.; *UPDATE* IN 2021 TWO COLLECTIONS ASSISTANTS, RYLEY GELINAS AND O. E., CONDUCTED AN AUDIT OF THE ROLLED TEXTILE COLLECTION, INCLUDING SEVERAL TEXTILES DONATED BY MARJORIE AND JACK WELCH. ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2021, GELINAS INTERVIEWED PADDIE WALMSLEY, THE DONORS’ DAUGHTER, ABOUT HER PARENTS’ DONATION AND HER MEMORIES OF THE OBJECTS OF THIS DONATION, INCLUDING THE PETTICOAT. WALMSLEY WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PETTICOAT OR CONFIRM IF IT WAS USED AS MATERNITY ATTIRE. WALMSLEY STATED THAT OBJECTS OF THE COLLECTION WERE DONATED TO THE MUSEUM BY HER PARENTS AS A WAY TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY: “SHE [MARJORIE WELCH] KNEW THE VALUE OF HISTORY AND THAT WAS KIND HER THING… AND MOM JUST WANTED, WOULD WANT SOMEBODY ELSE TO ENJOY THEM, AND YOU KNOW, TO KNOW THE HISTORY AND SEE IT.”