A little over a year ago, MCHS presented a re-enactment of an 1864 wedding
at our historical village.  In preparing for the program I came across a lot
of secondary sources that stated much of what everyone else has noted - Many
brides wore blue, brown or fawn colored dresses and many brides wore their
dresses again, after the ceremony.  (Unfortunately we don't have any of
these non-white gowns in our collection!)

If you'd like to contact me off the list I'd be happy to share research
resources and contacts with you!

Sarah Johnson
Educational Programming Coordinator
Manitowoc County Historical Society
P.O. Box 574
Manitowoc, WI 54221
920/ 684-4445





>From: Brenda Day <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: brown wedding gowns
>Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 10:18:04 -0500
>
>Candace,
>I agree with Barbara O'Brien.  At Baker University, we have a student's
>brown silk wedding dress.  It  has a cute little bustle, gold buttons that
>have a woman with a parasol on them.  The waist is so small, I couldn't get
>more than my.... Never mind, we won't go there.  Anyway, the label states
>that wedding dresses were often brown or magenta so that they could be worn
>to church, etc.
>Brenda Day
>Director/Baker University
>
>
>       -----Original Message-----
>       From: Barbara O'Brien [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>       Sent: Wed 8/6/2003 8:09 AM
>       To: [log in to unmask]
>       Cc:
>       Subject: Re: brown wedding gowns
>
>
>       Candace,
>
>       The Carroll County Farm Museum in Maryland had and exhibit years ago
>showing a wedding dress which was not white.  The label stated that white
>was unusual for wedding dresses before the turn of the twentieth century
>except for the wealthy.   More common wedding dresses were  browns, blacks
>and magentas because these dresses could be worn after the wedding day for
>Sundays, funerals, or social occasions.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>       Barbara O'Brien
>       Archivist
>       McDaniel College
>       (410) 857-2793
>       [log in to unmask]
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