OCTOBER 13, 2007 - JANUARY 5, 2008
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This
extraordinarily beautiful dress by the French couturier Emile
Pingat was purchased by Mrs. Augustus Newland Eddy, née Abby
Louise Spencer, during a six-month tour of Europe that she took
with her father in 1878. In her travel log, she referred to this
as her “party dress.” Her account shows how much time was
devoted to shopping: September 13: Arrived in Paris at noon…. Ordered Dell’s [Mrs. Arthur Caton] black dress and Arthur’s suit. September 14: To Pingat. Ordered Mrs. F’s dress [Mrs. Marshall Field], Dell’s cloak and mine. To Grange & Majantus. Ordered my bronze dress. September 16: Ordered Dell’s blue dress. September 17: Ordered my party dress. Bought corsets, shoes… Made of cream-colored silk brocade in a polychromatic floral and vine motif, the dress is of the type known as a polonaise, which consists of a long, form-fitting bodice that falls over the hipline at the sides and extends into a train, while an attached overskirt sweeps up behind to reveal an underskirt in gold satin with sunburst effect at center hem. The three-quarter-length sleeves are also trimmed with gold and white satin and three flounces of blond lace. The dress is further decorated with gold braid, gold ribbon-fringed tassels, and an accordion-pleated hem. Mrs. Eddy wore it for a portrait by the Chicago painter, George Peter Alexander Healy. There also exists a photograph of Mrs. Eddy wearing this dress in the company of her husband and son. |
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| Emile Pingat, formal afternoon or dinner dress, 1878, France, gift of Mr. Albert J. Beveridge III, photograph by Irving Solero | ||||||