Bodice, Purple; Unknown maker; 1870-1873; WY.2000.26
Bodice, Purple
About this object
This tailored bodice was part of the wedding dress of Elizabeth Isabella Bews (nee Clouston). Bessie, also known as Isabella, was born in Scotland in 1849, where she married Sam Bews of Orkney on 7 August 1873.
Sam, eight years Bessie's senior, emigrated to New Zealand in 1875 and Bessie followed three years later on board the 'Canterbury' arriving in Port Chalmers in 1878. Bessie and Sam went on to have eleven children, ten of whom survived into adulthood. The family purchased freehold land at Mokoreta in 1882 and their descendants remain in the area.
Although part of a wedding dress, which today would usually be packed away after the special day, the obvious signs of wear and tear suggest it was also worn well after Bessie's wedding day.
Dressmaker
Date Made1870-1873
Period1870s
Place Made Medium and Materials
organic, animal, animal product, processed materials, silk
organic, vegetal, processed materials, cotton
inorganic, processed materials, metal
Handwritten in black ink at collar: WY 2000 26
Measurementsh 550 mm x w 520 mm x d 100 mm
Subject and Association Keywords Subject and Association KeywordsPeople and Families (including births, weddings, deaths)
Object Type Object numberWY.2000.26
Copyright Licence
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